


A New Chapter

by Elynx



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Angst, Bright Moon, Celebrations, Cute, Developing Relationship, Enemies to Lovers, Etheria - Freeform, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Happy Ending, Love, Outer Space, Party, Planets, Post-Canon, Post-Horde Prime, Purring, Romance, This is so fluffy y'all, Victory, catradora, post-s5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:33:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24685402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elynx/pseuds/Elynx
Summary: Post-Season 5: Adventures throughout the universe and the evolution of Adora and Catra's relationship. Catra still aims for redemption, and it will take a while for the traumatic memories of Horde Prime's control to lose their effect on her. Adora must learn how to be selfish after a life spent ignoring the things she wants for the sake of others.Secrets and civilizations are revealed in each new world explored. While She-Ra busies herself with trying to return magic to the universe, each adventure also teaches Catra and Adora to trust one another, bringing them even closer together.
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra), Mermista/Sea Hawk (She-Ra), Netossa/Spinnerella (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 212





	1. Celebration

**Author's Note:**

> Great show, great characters, and an even greater love story. Thought I'd try something new on here and write an extended happy ending post-Season 5. You can expect more chapters, each set at a different point in time after the defeat of Horde Prime (also from alternating Catra and Adora POVs). Enjoy the fluff x

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Horde Prime is gone, Etheria is thriving and the Rebellion rejoices. A celebration is thrown at Bright Moon for all those who fought in the battle. Adora, thoughtful and distant, struggles to come to terms with the victory and what it means to her. Catra, struggling amidst her own worries, opens up to Adora and they overcome the pain of their past together.

“Adoraaaa,” Catra sang, pouncing onto the bed beside her. She was smiling so mischievously, wide enough that the tips of her canines were showing, and Adora knew instantly that she was up to something.

“What?”

“There’s a party going on. Remember? Apparently the entire population of Etheria will be heartbroken if the legendary She-Ra doesn’t show up at some point.” Catra’s head tilted to the side and her smile faded slightly. Narrowed eyes scrutinized her face. “You are gonna come and join us, right?”

Adora blinked, abruptly remembering where she was. Two nights after Horde Prime’s defeat. Two nights since she had seen death itself and Catra had brought her back with the promise of love. The planet had healed and the air was saturated with magic. Once Adora had returned to Bright Moon with her friends, preparations for a massive celebration had begun. Everyone was so happy, so relieved, but Adora couldn’t help but feel… lost. Just a little. She’d spent so long yearning for peace and safety, and now she had it, she didn’t know what to do with it.

Adora had also spent a long time wishing that Catra would return to the person she used to be, that they could stop trying to kill each other and put everything to rest. Having _that_ was even more overwhelming than Etheria’s peace. This wasn’t the same Catra she’d known back when they were kids – this one was more serious and uncertain and had a great load of baggage to unpack – but it was still her. And this version of Catra had learned to open her heart and let Adora in, which was even better. The spite and fury which had separated them for so long had fizzled away. There was something so strange about all of Adora’s dreams coming true at once. Impossible, even.

_Perhaps this really was my destiny the whole time: to take the hand of my enemy, save the world, and find happiness. Fate isn’t such a terrible burden after all._

“Uh… yeah. Yes. Party.” Standing, Adora brushed her palms over the sides of her dress – the same red satin she’d worn to the Princess Prom years ago and to Glimmer’s coronation. She’d never been one for fancy clothes and often found the royal balls too pretentious for her liking, but this dress had a special place in her heart. When she turned to see that Catra was still watching her, one eyebrow raised and that mischievous smile returned to her face, her cheeks heated. “What?”

Blue-and-yellow eyes glittered. Gracefully, Catra leapt to her feet and stalked over. “Why are you acting so weird?”

“I’m not.” Adora folded her arms, trying to look the part, but her efforts were belittled when Catra laughed at her.

“Flustered?”

“I’m _not_ -”

Catra swiftly yanked Adora’s hair free from the ponytail and she spluttered in protest as golden locks fell around her shoulders. “I spent ages putting that up!”

“Really?” Catra shrugged thoughtfully. “Looked the same as it always does. Little poof and everything.”

“You sure know how to make a girl feel special,” Adora grumbled.

Catra’s smirk grew and she ran her fingers through Adora’s hair with an approving look. “I like it when your hair’s down. Makes you look way less uptight.”

“I am not uptight-”

“ _Guys!_ ” snapped a voice from the doorway. Both Catra and Adora jumped – Catra with a slight hiss – and spun to stare at the petite girl standing in the doorway, fixing them with a disapproving frown. “If you want to flirt, do it at the party.”

Catra rolled her eyes. “You mean the party I was at a few minutes ago where everyone seemed to hate me?”

“Well, what do you expect?” Glimmer retorted. “Before Horde Prime, you were the biggest threat these people had to face. I’m sure they’re just finding it hard to believe you’re one of the good guys now.”

“Oh sure,” Catra grumbled, scowling. “Let’s forget the fact that, without my help, everyone on Etheria would’ve died two days ago. I’m the _definition_ of a bad guy.”

Glimmer beamed at her. “They’ll warm up to you, I promise.” She turned her rosy eyes on Adora, becoming scolding again. “As for you – where have you been? We started hours ago and you said you’d come early to help Bow and I.”

“Oh.” Adora scratched the back of her neck. “I’m sorry, Glimmer. I forgot.”

Concern leaked into Glimmer’s expression and she walked over. “Are you okay? You’ve seemed pretty distant over the past couple of days.”

“Just… coming to terms with everything that’s happened,” Adora said, shrugging.

“Awww, She-Ra doesn’t know what to do with herself when there’re no bad guys left to fight,” Catra crooned. Her eyes brightened, mischievous yet again. “Hey, maybe if a few of us dress up as Horde soldiers, blow up the buffet, kidnap one of the Princesses…”

“Try any of that and I’ll have you locked up,” Glimmer warned.

Raising her hands in a gesture of defeat, Catra slunk over to the doors of Adora’s bedroom. She was still smirking a little. “Fine, fine. Hey, Adora, once you’re done being weird, you’ll find me downstairs being the well-behaved kitty-cat that I am.”

Once she’d disappeared, Glimmer turned to Adora with a pointed expression on her face. “So. You and Catra, huh? We haven’t really had much time to talk about that.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Adora said quickly, blushing. “Well… I mean, there is. But it’s not a big deal.”

“It’s not?” Glimmer giggled.

Shifting awkwardly, Adora admitted, “We kissed. When we were at the Heart.”

She almost immediately regretted her words when Glimmer squealed and threw both arms around her. “Adora, that’s amazing! You guys – well, I never thought I’d end up saying this, but you’re _cute_. And I still think Catra’s a bit of a jerk, but she’s come a long way.”

“Yeah, she has,” Adora agreed, and her heart warmed with pride. She reached out and straightened Glimmer’s headpiece, smiling down at her. “What about you and Bow? Are you official yet?”

“Well…” Now it was Glimmer’s turn to blush. “Kind of. We still haven’t really had that conversation. It isn’t weird for you, is it? I know we’re all in the Best Friends Squad, and maybe you’ll feel left out if we-”

“No, no, it’s not weird,” Adora laughed. “I’m so happy for you two.”

Relieved, Glimmer beamed at her. “Good. Hey, I guess you wouldn’t feel left out now, would you?” Her smile turned suggestive. “You’ve got Catra.”

_Am I blushing again?_

“Yeah, I guess I have,” Adora agreed.

Adora took a moment to appreciate the beautiful chamber the celebration was being hosted in. Bright Moon was certainly one of the more attractive kingdoms with its great shining walls and waterfalls – and not to mention the moonstone which cast a soft lilac glow over the entire citadel when night fell. This was the same chamber which had hosted Glimmer’s coronation. Gilded banners and wreathes of flowers and vines likely provided by Perfuma decorated the walls. The open space behind Glimmer’s throne at the far end of the chamber displayed the full moon in all its splendour.

The crowds of guests provided a riot of colour, hailing from every kingdom of Etheria, all of them here to celebrate one thing: She-Ra’s success in defeating Horde Prime. Adora caught an excitable wave from Frosta and returned it just before she was overwhelmed by a swarm of invitees, each of them thanking and congratulating her. Adora, used to the attention but no more comfortable with it than she’d ever been, shook hands and returned smiles. In hardly a couple of minutes, she was already itching to escape.

A voice purred into her ear, “Hey, Adora.”

Turning abruptly, Adora smiled in relief at the sight of the familiar face staring back at her. “Catra.”

“Come on.” Catra’s hand tightened over her own and yanked her through a gap in the crowd so swiftly that the guests probably hadn’t even noticed she’d gone. Dragging her into a corner and away from prying eyes, Catra muttered, “Is that how it always is for you?”

“Kind of, yeah.” Adora shrugged.

“It sucks.” Grabbing two glasses off one of the trays sliding by, Catra handed her one. “What is this?”

Sniffing the glass, Adora replied, “Alcohol. Fruit wine.”

Catra sighed. “I don’t know what that is.” Nevertheless, she took a long swig of the pale amber liquid. Almost immediately, her face screwed up and she spluttered in disgust. Adora could do nothing but snicker as she tried to compose herself.

“Guys!” Bow said suddenly, appearing off to their left. He faltered, frowning at the choking fuss Catra was making. “What’s… going on?”

“Catra doesn’t like alcohol,” Adora said pointedly.

“Really?” Bow’s expression smoothed into a grin. “How cute is that?”

Huffing angrily, Catra snapped, “For the last time, I’m _not_ cute.” As if to concrete her point, she lifted the glass to her lips and downed the rest of the liquid in one gulp. She fixed Bow with a challenging stare.

“You are, though,” Adora admitted. When Catra shot her a surprised look, she quickly added, “Uh… objectively. Of course.”

Bow chuckled. “Some sort of speech is in order – we should get up to the front.”

“Oh great, another one,” Catra sighed.

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to speak,” Bow said reassuringly, catching sight of Adora’s weary expression. “Micah just said he has a few words.”

Adora glanced sideways at Catra and saw an indulgent smile on her face – she was pretending to be irritable and uncomprehending but Adora had a feeling she was enjoying this party much more than she let on. Reaching for Catra’s hand, Adora linked their fingers together. She couldn’t quite work up the courage to kiss her again, especially not in front of all these people, but the little steps were easy enough. Catra’s smile became shy and her eyes softened.

Returning her gaze to Bow, Adora gestured for him to lead the way. As they passed through the crowd, Adora saw several of her friends settling for Micah’s speech. Spinnerella and Netossa stood arm in arm, so close to one another they might as well have been glued at the hip. Scorpia, Perfuma and Sea Hawk were blabbering loudly about which song would be best to perform at the end of the night; Mermista, meanwhile, was looking incredibly bored with their conversation. Entrapta was clinging to Hordak’s shoulders, a toothy grin on her face as she eyed some of the little snacks on the buffet table. Adora noticed a few of the glares the other guests sent Hordak’s way and wondered if that was how Catra was being treated, too. While Catra had arguably brought the hate upon herself, Adora couldn’t help but bristle protectively. She pulled her closer as they approached the throne and felt the squeeze of Catra’s hand in hers.

Micah stood at the top of the steps with Glimmer on his right and his sister Castaspella on his left. When Adora, Catra and Bow joined them, he gave them all a smile before raising his voice to be heard above the crowd.

“Attention!”

Slowly, the noise in the chamber leached away until there was silence.

“As you all know, we have something huge to celebrate tonight,” Micah began. “Horde Prime is gone. Etheria has been saved. Allies and enemies alike united for a cause greater than any we’ve ever known, and now that the dust has settled, we find ourselves in a world of utter peace.”

There was a mumbling affirmation of his words.

“And, of course, while the events of the past months may have been incredibly taxing…” He turned to beam down at Glimmer and his sister. “They’ve given me the chance to reunite with my family and become whole again. For that, I’ll forever be grateful.”

Glimmer looked so happy she could cry – Adora caught her eye and they exchanged a grin. Adora wasn’t sure she’d even seen her best friend look so content before. It filled her with warmth.

“We have so many people to thank,” Micah continued. “Every person in this room has had a part to play in the war, so I’d like to thank all of you for the service you’ve done for our planet and for each of the seven kingdoms. Of course, most of all, we should thank our Princesses for their tireless fight against the Horde.”

A round of applause and cheering. Frosta jumped up and down, pumping her fists in the air, and Perfuma and Scorpia both blushed scarlet. Mermista rolled her eyes and waved a hand nonchalantly. Entrapta didn’t seem to have any idea what was going on, too busy stuffing her face by the buffet table. Adora noticed that Catra had stiffened at her side, and when she glanced over, she saw an expression of faint guilt on her face. Catra had once been one of the Rebellion’s greatest nightmares, and no matter how many times the Princesses forgave her and accepted her into the fold, she’d probably never feel redeemed. That was just how Catra was. If only Adora could speak into her mind and remind her that this was where she belonged – _here_ , not at the Fright Zone. Not with the Horde, who had done her more harm than good. She had always belonged here; unfortunately, it had taken a long time for her to realize that.

“… we should thank She-Ra for reversing the damage Horde Prime would have done to the Heart of Etheria – without her, we’d be lost.”

The cheers this time were even louder and Adora abruptly realized that they were for her. She blinked, surprised by the roaring noise, and then blushed. Bow jabbed her in the ribs and pointedly whispered, “I mean, you could say a few words if you wanted to...”

“Micah’s got it covered,” Adora retorted quickly. 

The cheering went on for a while, and when Adora turned to see Catra’s reaction, the other woman purposefully rolled her eyes. Eventually, once the crowd’s noise had died down once again, Micah dismissed the assembly and called for the party to return. Glimmer squealed, running over and throwing her arms around Adora and Catra’s shoulders. She brought Bow in as well, almost vibrating with happiness. “Guys, this is the _best_ – _night_ – _ever!_ ”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen my dads look so proud.” Bow pulled back, smiling sheepishly. He glanced over to where his parents were deep in conversation with some of the other guests. “None of this feels real, you know?”

“But it is,” Glimmer said firmly. They exchanged a meaningful look, eyes shining, and Adora quickly caught on.

“Uh… you two enjoy yourselves. We’re gonna go get some food,” she said hastily.

“Yeah, let’s go before they start making out. I do _not_ want to see that.”

Catra snickered as they walked off, catching the glares Bow and Glimmer sent her way. Still hand in hand, they approached the buffet table and Adora inquired, “What else haven’t you tried? We could make a game out of this.”

“Sure, I like games,” Catra decided. She smirked. “Especially knowing that, against you, I’ll always win.”

“Not true.”

“Really?” A challenge appeared in Catra’s eyes – the same look Adora remembered from their years growing up with the Horde, forever testing each other, pushing one another to the brink. Back then, Catra’s innate agility and strength had often made her the winner of their little games. Now, Adora had her own strength to prove.

They spent almost the entire celebration daring each other to try more and more outlandish delicacies, moving slowly down the buffet. Whoever was incapable of keeping a straight face – or refused to eat what they’d been given – would lose. Adora had already tried most of the foods on display so she had the upper hand, but Catra’s will was undefeatable. After eating some sort of baby tentacle-laden creature baked into batter, Catra licked her claws clean and grinned. “Okay, last one – and I’m telling you, this is gonna be your downfall.”

“Oh no,” Adora complained, feigning distress.

“You have to eat _that_. All of it,” Catra said, pointing at what was probably the most disgusting dish at the entire buffet. Some sort of appetizer composed of little insects, their shells crunchy and wings made of film. Just looking at it made Adora want to gag. Triumphant, Catra leaned in until their noses were almost touching. “Unless you don’t think you can. In which case… I win.”

“Oh, I can,” Adora retorted. She wasn’t about to lose over a bowl of insects. Grabbing the bowl and pulling it close to her face, she grimaced.

Catra smirked. “You don’t look so sure.”

Clearing her throat, Adora quickly shoved a spoonful into her mouth before she could lose her nerve. The feel of those crunchy, spiky bodies on her tongue immediately made her retch. She slammed the bowl down and ran from the chamber to remove the offending food from her mouth, hearing Catra’s rising cackles of laughter behind her.

Once she’d sufficiently scraped her tongue clean, Adora straightened on the steps outside the festivities, taking in a deep gulp of clean air. The land in the distance was so green and lush, even in the darkness, and her heart softened just to see it. She-Ra’s power had filled Etheria with magic – and could spread it to the whole universe, too. She’d felt so distant and lost over the past couple of days, but now Adora felt calm. Whole. Perhaps it was the excitement of the party, or seeing how happy all of her friends were, or even her time spent with Catra, but everything was finally _right._

Adora turned away from the beautiful landscape to see Catra standing casually behind her, a glass of water in one hand. She grinned, looking impressed. “You went further than I thought you would,” she admitted.

Gratefully accepting the glass of water, Adora finished it in a few gulps and then wiped her mouth. “You won this time.”

“I win _every_ time,” Catra smirked. She stalked to the railing and slung her arms over it, staring over the Whispering Woods with an unreadable expression. When Adora joined her, she pressed their shoulders close together. They were both silent for a long while, simply watching the star-speckled sky and the forest below. Soon, however, Adora realized she had a question she was itching to ask.

“Are you happy?”

Catra’s mismatched eyes widened as she glanced over; when she considered the question, however, her brow furrowed, and she looked so conflicted that Adora almost regretted asking. “I’ve never been happier in my life,” she said finally, so quietly and in such a small voice that Adora had to lean in to hear her.

“Me too.” 

“Do you think someone like me is allowed to be happy?”

The question caught Adora off-guard. She gaped before replying, “Of course you are!”

“I don’t know.” Catra fiddled with her hands and Adora noticed the end of her tail was twitching, revealing her distress. “Now that it’s all over, and even though I know I finally chose to do the right thing, I can’t help but think about how much I’ve hurt you. Hurt _everyone_. Why should I be allowed to feel this good?”

“Catra,” Adora said firmly. “I meant what I said – I never gave up on you. There was a time before all this when I knew you better than anyone, and I knew that somewhere deep down you were just… hurt. And afraid. You’ve always been a good person. It’s just that now you’ve been given the chance to prove it.”

Catra looked at her and her lips curled up in a smile. “I’m lucky it was you, wasn’t I? You couldn’t hold a grudge to save your life.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry I left without being able to properly say goodbye. I’m sorry I didn’t come back for you or try to bring you with me when I joined the Rebellion,” Adora said, the words leaving her in one rushing breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t think about how much it would hurt you. And I’m sorry I never tried to… understand what it was like for you.”

“Don’t apologize for that,” Catra muttered.

“Well, it’s true.”

Catra sighed, dragging a hand over her face. “I should’ve just told you right at the beginning what you meant to me. Then maybe none of this would even have happened.”

“Call me crazy, but I don’t regret the choices we made,” Adora said with a beam. “This is where we’re meant to be.”

Giving her an incredulous look, Catra finally snorted. “You’re a cheesy dork.”

“You can’t pretend you don’t like it.” Adora lifted her chin haughtily. “After all, you’ve already said you love me. There’s no going back.”

Catra’s gaze softened. “True.” She reached out and gently tucked some of Adora’s hair behind her ear, so careful, as if she thought a firmer touch might break her. “And you love me too.”

Adora searched the familiar slopes and planes of Catra’s face; the features which had sometimes hurt to look at, sometimes brought her joy. Even without her mane of hair, Catra still struck a proud silhouette – but she wasn’t intimidating anymore. She didn’t look at Adora with anything other than affection and a quiet sort of happiness which seemed to light her eyes from within. After a few moments, Adora realized Catra was purring, and the sound was so heart-warming and adorable that her mouth automatically stretched into a goofy smile. And then Catra moved in to kiss her and the grin was more or less struck from her face.

Adora accepted her lips immediately, pulling her close, sliding fingers into soft hair. It wasn’t much like the kiss Catra had given her while she’d been falling down that dark hole, succumbing to Horde Prime’s poison – that one had been soft, yielding. This time, Catra kissed her like she wanted to make up for the years they had spent apart; the years she had spent yearning for something that was lost, only to be found again. And then, only when they needed to breathe, did they draw apart again. Adora brought their foreheads together, not ready to let go.

They cradled each other close, far from the celebrations, exchanging kisses and talking until the moon was high in the sky. The fourth time they kissed, Adora couldn’t help but run her tongue against those sharp canines, wanting to make sure it was as real as it felt. She enjoyed the feel of claws scratching lightly at the small of her back, the soft flick of Catra’s tail against her legs. She definitely liked the purring and the slight vibrations of laughter, as if Catra truly couldn’t believe this was happening either. Finally, both blushing, they agreed it was time to go.

When Adora peered back into the chamber to see where her friends were, she found herself smiling at the sight before her. Everyone was dancing as if they had forgotten how to stand still. Spinnerella and Netossa slow-danced in each others’ arms; Glimmer spun with Bow in the centre of the room, both of them laughing wildly; Sea Hawk was performing a show of his own, clearly trying to impress Mermista, who looked rather amused by his antics. Scorpia and Perfuma were blushing together, Frosta looking between them with a knowing smile. Even Entrapta and Hordak seemed to be bonding, musing over some of her newest gadgets. Swift Wind had finally arrived at the party and was trotting around with Wrong Hordak by his side, exchanging pleasantries and regaling his own heroic tales from the battle.

They all looked so _happy_.

Adora considered saying her goodbyes but couldn’t bring herself to interrupt the vision of contentedness she saw before her. Grabbing her arm, Catra pulled her away and they walked hand in hand back up to her room. There had been several strangely cold, lonely nights spent in there, even though she’d come to think of Bright Moon as her home – at first, Adora hadn’t been sure why. Sure, she’d grown up in a dormitory, and being alone at night was an alien feeling. But it had occurred to her eventually that the main thing she missed was Catra curled at the end of her bed, purring softly and growling in her sleep. There had been something so heart-wrenching about knowing that they’d never be so close again. Knowing that Catra no longer wanted anything to do with her.

Adora was glad she’d been proven wrong.

This time, when Adora crawled into bed, Catra leapt right in beside her and shot her a grin before curling up close. Adora stroked her hair until the purring returned and she felt that silky tail wrap around her. “That feels nice,” Catra muttered against her shoulder. Adora stroked the soft downy fur over her ear, too, feeling it twitch under her fingers. If anything, the purring grew even louder. Burrowing even further into her embrace, Catra eventually fell silent, and Adora realized she’d fallen asleep. She sighed contentedly and closed her own eyes, feeling warmer and safer than she ever had. And she knew, without question, that everything was going to be all right.


	2. Otheron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Micah has resumed his title as King of Bright Moon and Etheria is in the safe hands of the Princess Alliance, Bow, Glimmer, Adora and Catra decide to make good on their promise to bring magic back to the universe. With Entrapta's help, they locate a planet which was once under Horde Prime's control: Otheron. The barren, seemingly long-dead world contains secrets far beyond what they expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO. This kind of continues on from the last chapter, I suppose, but several months after the defeat of Horde Prime. Catra and Adora are officially dating, as are Bow and Glimmer. You can view this as a mini-story of one of the Best Friends Squad's discoveries as they travel throughout the universe. The use of having my own little adventure story-line means I can further detail how Catra's still recovering after her time spent on Horde Prime's ship (and still working towards redemption), and how she and Adora are learning to trust each other. So, there'll be some angst and fluff. Prepare yourselves.

The moment they exited the ship, setting foot on the barren dusty ground of the newest planet Entrapta had managed to locate, they were met with a bloodcurdling screech. Catra flinched and all her hair stood on end as she threw herself instinctively to the side, rolling into a well-practiced crouch. Her tail flicked and she glowered at the creature which had caught her by surprise. Perhaps four times her size, it rose up on hind legs, each of its limbs armour-plated with a paralyzing goo seeping from black pores. An angry Melog growled and joined Catra’s side, mane flashing red. Bow yelped his surprise and dodged behind one of the ship’s engines, readying his longbow, and Glimmer fired a warning shot in the monster’s direction, aiming to scare it away.

The creature clicked its mandibles, only growing angrier, and Catra growled as it charged again – directly at her. For some reason, she was its chosen target. Nimbly, she rolled away again. Towering above her, as tall as the ship itself, the monster began to emit a series of squeaks and clicks. The rustling noises that came from all directions told Catra that it was not alone. There was a whole family out there, and they were closing in.

Uncertainly, Bow yelled, “Uh, hey – Adora, maybe you could get out here and give us a little help?”

Glimmer teleported past the beast’s legs, now firing balls of glittering energy directly at its bulky body, but the armored plates seemed to absorb her power. Bow fired one of his net arrows, aiming to at least keep the thing occupied, but those sharp mandibles sliced through the bindings easily. Two other beasts had scuttled over now, surrounding them, and they all heard a faint, “ _For the honor of Grayskull!_ ” inside the ship. Finally, Adora had realized what was going on.

Catra bounded up onto the first creature’s back so quickly that it hardly had time to counter, nimbly avoiding the poisonous pores as she tore through the armour plates with her claws. Greenish goo leaked from the monster’s wounds and it screeched once more – a sound which hurt her ears. Catra winced, flattening her ears against her skull as she continued to tear through hard flesh. As a sharp limb moved to toss her aside, Catra threw herself from the beast’s back and dodged a swing of its barbed tail, flattening herself against the ground. Luckily, she didn’t have to think too much about her next movement – She-Ra finally appeared, expertly flinging a glowing rope and using both arms to heave the monster to the ground. It collapsed, no match for her strength. The rope instantly transformed back into her sword and she thrust it forwards in an instant kill.

As usual, Catra couldn’t help but pause at the sight of the eight-foot-tall warrior woman who seemed to exude her own glow. Even from the other side of the battlefield, it always had been distracting – back then, irritatingly so. All that _hair_ …

She-Ra withdrew her sword and almost flew towards the next beast, inhumanly quick as she battled an enemy three times her size. Catra spat dirt from her mouth and climbed back to her feet. Melog immediately wrapped her in an illusion of invisibility, already knowing what she wanted to do. Tilting her body, Catra called upon Melog’s telekinesis as she launched herself at the third assailant, leaping onto its back and swiping again with her claws. Bow shot one of his sticky arrows, disabling the mandibles momentarily, and Catra tore them from the beast’s face. Finally, seeping from multiple wounds, it collapsed with a crash, sending dust billowing in all directions. Catra jumped off and wiped dirt and blood from her clothes with an expression of disgust.

She-Ra had already finished off the last of the monsters and was standing by the ship’s entrance, striking a heroic pose with her hands on hips as she surveyed the landscape. Entrapta appeared behind her, eyes round with excitement. “New life forms! Oh, I _have_ to note this down – it’s a shame none of them survived for me to study, but perhaps we can find another?”

“They tried to kill us,” Catra scowled, striding over. “You’re not allowed to keep one as a pet. Bad idea.”

Entrapta pointed at Melog. “But you kept that one after the first time we went to Krytis, and it was a great idea!”

Turning a faint pink colour, Melog channeled Catra’s feeling of mild irritation. “Melog’s different.”

“Why?”

“Guys, _focus_ ,” Glimmer ordered. She turned to She-Ra who was still staring out over the landscape. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Fine.” She-Ra finally spun around and the bright blue glow faded from her eyes; Catra couldn’t help but feel better now that she looked slightly more like Adora. She couldn’t exactly deny that she liked how She-Ra looked aesthetically, looming over all of them with her glowing hair and toned muscles, but she wasn’t familiar yet. While Adora had always somehow had a place in Catra’s heart, She-Ra had been an enemy from the beginning. It was hard not to set them apart.

“What’re you staring at?” Bow whispered pointedly.

Catra elbowed him in warning. “Nothing.”

“I see.” He winked at her, gesturing to Melog, who unfortunately had the habit of displaying every emotion she felt. “You couldn’t possibly be staring at your eight-foot-tall warrior girlfriend.”

“Shut up,” she hissed.

“Catra has an eight-foot-tall warrior girlfriend?” Entrapta inquired loudly, sounding genuinely interested. “Who?”

Everyone stared at her and then at Adora, who was beginning to blush. Catra slapped a palm to her forehead, groaning.

“Entrapta, I’ve already told you Catra and Adora are dating,” Glimmer reminded her.

Entrapta looked between them, her eyes uncomprehending. Finally, she said, “Ohhh, right.” She typed something onto her pad and then turned and skipped back into the ship without another word. When Catra heard her recorder click on, she knew there was about to be another entry on the ‘wonders of human relationships’ and had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

“Look, Adora, are you gonna do your She-Ra heal-the-world magic thing or what? That’s what we’re here for, isn’t it?” Catra demanded. She didn't particularly like the welcome they'd received. Leaving as soon as possible would suit her preferences. 

Adora called upon her sword again and it appeared out of thin air in a shimmer of light. She glanced down at the shining blade. “Krytis was hard enough. I don’t know if I’ll be able to muster up the energy so soon.”

“Well, if you need Catra to kiss you again to make She-Ra’s magic work, we’ll just be in the ship,” Bow said helpfully.

Glimmer giggled.

Glaring at both of them, Catra folded her arms across her chest. “That was one time.” After a second thought, she shot a smirk in Adora’s direction, realizing she sort of liked it when She-Ra was blushing – it made her a lot less intimidating. “I mean, unless you’d like that. I’m available.”

“Oooooh,” Glimmer crooned. She quickly grabbed Bow’s arm. “Come on.”

Catra watched bemusedly as they ducked back inside the ship and quickly shooed Melog after them. She heard Adora take a step towards her, one of her ears perking up at the sound, and spun to face her. Tilting her head back, Catra gazed earnestly into her girlfriend’s face. “You know, even She-Ra’s allowed to take a break sometimes.”

Adora looked surprised. “What?”

“Resting a little more might help She-Ra get on top of things.” Catra gave her a pointed look. "You didn’t sleep at all last night. And if you don’t sleep, I don’t sleep."

“Oh. Sorry. There's just... a lot on my mind.”

Shrugging, Catra ran her eyes up and down She-Ra’s still-glowing form. She strode in a circle around her, curiously taking in the colors of her uniform and armour, coming to a stop at her side. Reaching out to touch the white-gold tresses of She-Ra’s hair, she marveled at how soft it was, and how magic seemed to hum through every strand. Shooting her a curious glance, Adora questioned, “If She-Ra interests you so much, why haven’t you ever asked me to transform when we’re alone?”

“I prefer you,” Catra said immediately, releasing her hair. “Adora, I mean.”

“Why?”

Catra just shrugged again.

“I can… transform back. If you want,” Adora suggested, searching her eyes. She sounded suddenly uncertain, as if she hadn’t realized what She-Ra meant until now – as if she hadn’t realized how the symbol of the Rebellion had plagued Catra in the past. As if she didn’t know the guilt Catra felt when she realized that everything she loved now had used to fill her to the brim with hate. Back then, she’d wanted to burn all of it down, rend Adora’s new-found happiness with her claws until there was nothing left. Imagining she’d been betrayed, all of that had been easy. Especially when the only Adora she seemed to see was the one dressed in white and carrying a sword, undoing every single one of her plans; reminding her constantly that she was _bad_ , and _worthless_ , and _weak_ , just as Shadow Weaver had always said. After years of living in someone else’s shadow, Catra had wanted prove herself, but as it turned out, She-Ra had cast an even larger shadow than the one to begin with.

“No.”

Adora’s brow furrowed and she looked confused. “Really?”

Reaching up, Catra took a deep breath and cupped her face. “I should probably get used to She-Ra. She’s not going anywhere, right?”

“And she’s saved your life more times than I can count,” Adora added wryly, beaming at her.

“I’ve saved _your_ life loads of times.”

For once, it was Adora who leaned down to kiss Catra first, lifting her clear off the ground. With a noise of shock, Catra immediately squirmed out of her grasp and then shot her a look. “Did you just pick me up?”

“Oh, come on,” Adora complained, giggling. “Lying in She-Ra’s arms as she carries you off into the sunset… you haven’t had that dream?”

Flushing, Catra growled, “No, you weirdo.”

Adora drew her in again and Catra grinned against her mouth, biting down gently enough on her bottom lip that she wouldn’t break the skin with her sharp teeth – but enough, apparently, to make her gasp. Catra felt satisfied that she had the upper hand once more. It was nice being in control, especially when it was technically She-Ra she was kissing.

“Oh, hi, sorry to interrupt,” Entrapta said absently, sending them shooting apart in surprise and embarrassment. She’d appeared so suddenly that Catra had to blink a few times to fully come to terms with her presence. When she did, she frowned. Entrapta didn’t notice, too busy staring down at her pad and flicking through data. “So, Otheron may be one of the first planets Horde Prime conquered – this entire area used to be a forest!” Spreading her arms wide, she looked up at them with shining eyes. “Isn’t that amazing? There must be only one life form left which survived the destruction.”

“These things?” Catra clarified, pointing at the carcasses of the monsters they’d fought.

“Exactly! If I could get my hands on a live one, I could probably learn a lot more about the environment. They must have evolved over many-”

“ _No_ ,” Catra growled. “For the last time-”

“We’ll see,” Adora interrupted.

Turning on her, Catra demanded, “What?”

With one of her trademark lopsided grins, Adora shrugged and said, “Healing this place is gonna take some time. Meanwhile, shouldn’t we should find out more about it? This is one of the first planets we’ve found that we know literally nothing about.”

“Yay!” Entrapta was gone in a heartbeat, disappearing once again inside their ship, and Catra watched her leave incredulously. Adora’s entire body shimmered and the towering form of She-Ra vanished. Once Catra turned back to her, she was suddenly much smaller, tugging at the sleeves of her red jacket.

“You do realize you just enabled that psycho to go out and bring another one of those things back to the ship? We’ll be dead by morning.”

“Don’t be so dramatic.” Adora gave her another smile and unexpectedly flung both arms around her neck.

The part of Adora which always saw the good in everyone – that part baffled Catra. No matter how badly she’d been treated, Adora always had the capacity for forgiveness. And she never seemed to _expect_ bad things to happen, even when she was literally inviting them with open arms. Sighing, Catra hugged her close. Adora’s heart didn’t make her weak. Nor did her obliviousness. The fact that she’d been so kind and loyal had been what made Catra love her in the first place. And the fact that some things just flew right over her head was mostly adorable, even if it had caused Catra heartache for years.

“Whatever. I’ll just wait to say ‘I told you so’,” Catra grumbled.

“Your favourite thing.” When Adora drew away, her blue eyes brightened. She brushed a stray lock of hair behind Catra’s ear. As usual, the affectionate touch seemed to make Catra’s entire body soften and she forgot what she’d been so worried about. “So, how about it? Do you wanna explore?”

Catra looked around uncertainly. The land was mostly flat with a few sloping planes and cliffs. Clusters of stone pillars had been the habitat of Otheron’s last living organisms, but even those were bare of life now. There was literally nothing to explore.

“Uh…” Catra turned back to Adora and couldn’t help but give in at the sight of the hopeful expression on her face. “…Fine.”

Adora perked up immediately. “Great! I’ll go tell Glimmer and Bow. They’ll watch Entrapta and make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid.” 

Catra smiled after her as she walked away, deciding that a day spent exploring a new world with Adora wouldn’t be so bad. They’d so rarely had time alone together since setting off from Etheria and she sort of missed having no one around to hear their conversations.

When Catra saw a bizarre expression cross Adora’s face, she instantly knew that something must be off with Otheron. They had just reached the top of a rise and a ravine stretched below, slicing deep into the planet’s crust. Of course, she knew what that expression meant – she’d seen it a few times before.

“I don’t think it was Horde Prime who destroyed this planet,” Adora said suddenly. “Well, not just him, anyway.”

Catra’s eyes immediately flicked to her face. “The First Ones?”

“Maybe this was one of the planets they came searching for magic.”

Thoughtful, Catra glanced down into the ravine again. It was so deep that gaping darkness concealed the bottom. Otheron didn’t seem particularly magical. “So, you’re saying we should call back and tell the others?”

“Uh… no, no.” Adora shook her head quickly. “Not yet. I could be wrong.”

This time, Catra gave her a skeptical look. Adora was rarely wrong when it came to the First Ones. Their tech seemed to attract her like a conduit; everywhere they’d found ruins, she’d seemed to sense them several minutes beforehand. Whether this was a new ability after using the fail-safe on the Heart, or if she’d always been able to do it, Catra didn't know. But the skill had proven valuable so far.

When Adora took her hand again, Catra followed without protest. They walked along the ravine until the gap became much shallower, allowing them to jump across. Catra bounded over without hesitation. Adora, on the other hand, paused for a long moment. She wasn’t clumsy, but she’d never had the same agility as Catra did. As She-Ra, the ravine would hardly be an obstacle, but conserving energy was her priority now. After peering down into the darkness at the centre of the planet, Adora sighed her uncertainty.

Catra grinned, amused despite her attempt to look reassuring. “If you’re gonna take all day, I’ll just go on without you,” she teased.

Adora shot her a reproachful look. Taking the hint, Catra lowered onto her haunches and waited patiently as Adora finally stepped back and then took a running jump. Her feet almost didn’t gain purchase on the other side – Catra’s hand darted out instinctively, grabbing Adora by the front of her jacket. She wasn’t smiling now, pulling her girlfriend firmly away from the edge of the ravine. “We should’ve found somewhere that was easier to cross.”

“It’s okay. I’m fine.” Adora looked embarrassed. Sometimes it was a little too easy to forget that She-Ra wouldn’t always be there to save her; one simple, unexpected mistake in her human form and it would all be over.

Catra leaned in to deposit a kiss on her cheek. “Come on.” This time she led the way, tugging Adora after her as they strode towards the cliff on the other side of the ravine. Once they could see over the edge, Catra sighed, her tail twitching with discomfort. “I guess you were right.”

First Ones Ruins. The familiar prismatic shapes had been crippled by dust storms and age but the entrance still looked intact.

“Wanna check it out?” Catra asked suddenly, mischievously, turning to look into her girlfriend’s face. Before Adora could reply in the negative, she let go of her hand and approached the edge of the cliff. Her hands caught the lip and she easily and gracefully jumped from handhold to foothold. Once at the bottom, she brushed her palms off and grinned up at Adora, who was peering over the edge. After giving a challenging smile in return, Adora finally lowered herself over the side of the rock face and began to climb down as well. Catra had always loved to make her work for a chase – when they were kids, there had been nothing in the Fright Zone she herself couldn’t climb with ease, but Adora had soon learned how to follow her no matter where she fled. Whenever she’d been feeling down and escaped to sulk by herself, Adora always found her in the end.

Catra was so involved in watching Adora’s descent that she didn’t notice until it was too late that she wasn’t alone. Something sharp bit into the back of her neck and she hissed impulsively – it had been months, but just a single touch below her hairline still brought back memories of the chip and how Hordak Prime had controlled her; how he’d suffocated her thoughts and spoken through her; how he’d made her fight Adora with the intent to kill. She spun around, lashing out with her claws, but her limbs felt heavy. Her hand went to the back of her neck and she pulled a dart from her skin, looking down at it in surprise.

Catra’s vision greyed and she felt her body slump to the ground. Tiny shoes surrounded her and, in her drowsy state, she wanted to laugh at how cute they were, but when something gagged her and several little hands lifted her off the ground with surprising strength, fear finally struck.

“ _Catra!_ ” Adora yelled, but at this point her voice already sounded distant.

It seemed there was more to worry about on Otheron than the ancient presence of First Ones and giant insects, after all.


	3. Beneath The Surface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Panicking, Adora and her friends try to figure out where Catra has been taken - and, more importantly, _who_ took her.

Adora had felt the glow warming in her eyes as she prepared to transform, but before she could say the words, Catra was gone. Vanished off the face of the planet. One second she’d been there, slumped in the arms of a dozen pint-sized humanoids, and in the next second it was as if she’d never existed at all.

Gaping at the space she’d been standing, Adora felt an inevitable fear rise up inside her. She’d let her guard down. This was all her fault. If she’d been paying more attention, she could have warned Catra before it was too late.

Where had she _gone_?

The confusion mixed with her terror and she felt a lump rise in her throat. Quickly lifting her comms, she put herself through to the ship. “Guys, I need your help! This is an emergency!”

The answer from Glimmer was almost immediate: “ _Adora? Are you okay?! What’s wrong?_ ”

“They-they came and they… they took her – I think – oh god, I have no idea where they...” She had run out of breath and couldn’t seem to draw any more air into her lungs.

“ _Those insect things?_ ” Glimmer inquired, confused.

“No.” Adora swallowed, but she couldn’t get past the lump in her throat. “Glimmer, please, I… I don’t know where they took Catra. And I need...”

“ _Stay where you are, we’ve got your coordinates_ ,” Bow’s serious voice interrupted. “ _We’re bringing the ship around_.”

When they clicked off again, Adora was left standing alone with her terror. She was stock-still, unable to lift her eyes from the place Catra had last stood, as if to look away would be to forget her existence entirely. She wracked her brains, trying to remember what those little aliens had looked like, but she’d been halfway down the cliff when they’d appeared and had only seen the shapes of them. Once she reached the ground and started to transform, they were already gone, and Catra with them.

Adora took a few steps forward and crouched to pick up something which had been left in the dirt: a sharp object only a few inches in length. She’d never seen any material like it. It was transparent like glass, but with a sheen that reminded her of Etherian steel. 

The sound of the ship’s engines brought her out of her stupor and she immediately spun to watch as it landed. Bounding out and circling the area Catra had last been standing, Melog halted and changed color from a pale blue to a bright red. Adora heard an angry growl; she wondered if Melog could sense where she was and how she was feeling. Entrapta was the next out, pad in hand as she excitedly approached Adora. “Hey, I meant to tell you before you left, but there are some reaaaally strange patterns below the planet’s surface – at first I thought they were just tremors, but it turns out they’re not seismic at all!” As usual, she was completely oblivious to the pale desperation on Adora’s face, continuing, “There might be something living down there! Maybe there’s even some sorta city – what if the natives never left? Maybe they just adjusted to a new-”

“Adora!” Glimmer had teleported to her side, taking her firmly by the shoulders. “What happened to Catra? Who took her?”

This time Adora was able to align her thoughts just enough to explain: “There were these… little people. I didn’t see them closely. But they shot her with this-” She held up the dart and let Entrapta pluck it from her fingers with an expression of unadulterated delight, “-and then disappeared. Vanished. Poof.”

“Little people?” Bow had finally reached them.

“You mean they teleported?” Glimmer demanded.

Adora blinked. “I… don’t know. It wasn’t anything like how you teleport. There was no sound, no light – it was just like they were never there at all.”

“Perhaps some sort of cloaking device,” Entrapta suggested helpfully. “Maybe they didn’t disappear, they just turned invisible.”

“But… how?”

Entrapta shrugged, turning her attention back to the device in her hands. When Adora saw the planet’s image amongst her data, she immediately pointed at it. “You said something about an underground city?”

Entrapta looked surprised. “Oh. Yes. Why?”

Adora turned towards the cliff she’d so recently scaled, thinking past Catra’s challenge, her laughter, to the deep darkness of the ravine. A darkness that had seemed never-ending. Could there really be natives living beneath the surface? The First Ones hadn’t built so close to the ravine as a coincidence – perhaps they had known that Otheron had magic in its core, just as Etheria did. Perhaps there was still some magic left down there.

Adora straightened her shoulders and squared her jaw. “Everyone onto the ship. I think I know where they took her.”

Hurtling straight down a pitch black ravine with nothing but Entrapta’s observations to guide them proved even more terrifying than Adora had anticipated. She’d transformed into She-Ra upon entering the ship and planned to at the very least survive the journey to wherever Catra had been taken. She and her friends had come to Otheron to heal, not to start a war with the locals, but now that they’d stolen someone important to her, she couldn’t help but indulge in her desperate anger. She'd fight if she had to.

Glimmer reached out and took Adora’s hand reassuringly, no doubt seeing how pale she was. “I’m sure she’s fine. Knowing Catra, she's probably already planned an escape.”

Adora shook her head listlessly. “They knocked her out with something.”

“It was a paralyzing agent!” Entrapta interjected enthusiastically, looking up from the dart she’d been studying. “Made from the same liquid that those creatures you fought ooze from the pores on their skin – which means these natives must come to the surface pretty often.” She paused thoughtfully. “I wonder if they knew we were here from the moment we landed?”

“They paralyzed her?” Adora demanded, shocked.

Entrapta shrugged. “Well, I don’t know if it’s permanent. I’m sure she’ll be able to move again at some point. Maybe.”

Now Adora felt even more worried, her hand clenching Glimmer’s so tightly that her best friend winced. Shooting Entrapta a glare, Glimmer turned to Adora and said, “Seriously, it’s Catra. She’ll be fine.”

Adora sighed. She gave Glimmer’s hand a gentler squeeze and then let go, moving towards the ship’s windshield so she could try and make something out in the darkness. Bow was steering with expert precision but beads of sweat were rolling down his brow and he was clearly apprehensive of his own skills now that he couldn't see a thing. The further they went, the darker it seemed to get, and it became more and more likely that they would crash.

“Oooh!” Entrapta said suddenly. “Stop!”

Bow braked and the ship came to a sudden halt in mid-air. They all turned to see what Entrapta had to say.

“The vibrations are here. Yeah. Very close,” she said, nodding her head eagerly.

At her direction, Bow began to steer them more slowly. Everyone stared out of the windshield in curiosity as they flew laterally between a narrow gap of rock. It was so narrow, in fact, that the edges of the ship passed with a loud screeching noise. Bow grimaced and apologized but Adora touched his shoulder to let him know he was doing well. Entrapta mumbled, “It’s okay, Darla,” and stroked the ship's dashboard.

Once they were through the hole in the side of the ravine, Bow pulled the ship to a stop again. They all gaped at the suddenness of bright light filling their field of vision. Once Adora’s eyes had adjusted, she found herself staring at one of the most wonderful places she’d seen in a long time – it was so incongruous to the barren world above that she hardly believed they were still on Otheron.

A gigantic cavern stretched ahead of them, its walls lush with plant life. Flowers and trees grew here without the aid of sunlight. Aliens which must be no taller than the top of Adora’s knee when she was in her human form were tending to the vegetation, walking on the cavern’s walls as if gravity didn’t apply to them. At the very bottom of the cavern was a pool of molten rock; buildings made from stone and glittering metal rose out of it in grand displays of architecture. The city was so large and bright, and filled with so much movement as the population of little people carried out their daily lives, that Adora could do nothing but stare for a long while.

“Wow,” Glimmer breathed beside her.

“This is amazing!” Entrapta squealed. “Let’s go and explore!”

Adora grabbed her before she could make her way to the back of the ship. She nodded to Bow to bring them towards the edge of the city so that they could set themselves down. Too late, she realized that their presence had already been noted – a crowd of the little aliens had begun to form, pointing and talking amongst themselves. Once the ship had touched down on a flat paved area by a lava fountain, the crowd was so large that it seemed everyone in the city had come to greet their new visitors.

Stepping out of the ship into a surprisingly hot, humid atmosphere, Adora found that their presence wasn’t particularly welcome at all. One of the little people pointed at her and hissed, “ _First One_.”

The crowd’s noise grew angry in volume and Adora prepared her sword, ready to fight if she had to. Melog appeared at her side, flashing red and growling menacingly, and her friends all lifted their own weapons. But then one of them stepped forward to hush the rest, turning to her with green eyes that seemed to fill all of his face. “Come,” he said, beckoning with one hand.

Adora was startled. She let the sword vanish from her hand. “Uh – really? Where?”

“Come,” he said again. He wore long silver robes which he picked up from his little clawed feet as he began to lead the way back through the crowd toward the city. Adora glanced back at her friends; Bow and Glimmer shrugged and Entrapta grinned wide. The crowd parted as they walked – most of the little people were so small that Adora worried she would step on them in her She-Ra form. Her presence had clearly made them angry. Several of those big eyes were glaring at her as she passed. Clearly there was no love lost between the locals and their colonizers.

The tiny man led them through towering buildings and cottage-like homes, waddling quickly and grumbling greetings to the few of his fellow aliens who stopped to watch them pass. When Adora looked up, she saw that a gigantic orb of yellow light filled the ceiling of the cavern like an artificial sun. She’d never seen magic like it and wondered why the First Ones had left without draining it completely, as they had done with other planets.

A large building with stone pillars was their apparent destination. The little man led them to the doorway and then waited on the other side as they lowered themselves to their knees and crawled through, being careful not to bump their heads or break anything. Adora was able to straighten up to her full height once she was inside and she was struck by the sheer size of the chamber they had entered. A purple carpet led them towards a long table at which twelve of the little creatures sat, watching gravely as Adora and her friends approached.

The alien Council was split down the middle of the table – half were male and half were female, as far as Adora could tell; the women wore white and the men wore silver. All of them looked very serious. Remembering why she’d come, Adora gulped. “Uh… hi.”

“Why have you come here?” one of them snapped.

“You took our friend,” Bow pointed out, folding his arms. “Where is she?”

Some of the members of the Council looked confused.

“We were at some First Ones Ruins not far from here. Your people came and kidnapped her,” Adora said, remembering her anger and lifting her chin defiantly. “We’ve come to get her back.”

At hearing her speak again, one of the aliens stood and slapped her little hands down on the table. “Why have you returned to our planet, First One?” she hissed.

Adora was taken aback. “To heal it,” she said truthfully. “We heard this was one of the planets Horde Prime destroyed.”

“He took away the beauty at Otheron’s surface, but he didn’t know where we hid.” She scowled. “It was the First Ones who tried to destroy us.”

“I… didn’t know that.” Now Adora felt a little guilty, but she wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t her fault the First Ones had been so cruel to these people. “Like I said, we’re here to heal your planet. We’ve already healed some others.”

One of the men eyed her curiously. “Interesting," he said. "You look like the First Ones, but you don’t sound like them.”

Adora knew what she had to do. Releasing a sigh, she closed her eyes and finally let go of that string which kept her in power, which kept She-Ra bound to her – her skin prickled and stung at its surface and she sensed the familiar disorientation that came with transforming. Once she opened her eyes again, she was suddenly a couple feet shorter and could no longer feel the weight of her hair on her back. She glanced up at the Council, all of whom looked incredibly shocked. Their already overlarge eyes seemed to fill their faces.

“I was given a sort of… gift by the First Ones,” Adora explained nervously. “The woman you just saw is She-Ra – she can heal Otheron. But this is… me. My friends and I didn’t come to your city to hurt you. I just want my…” She trailed off and then her voice strengthened. “My girlfriend. You took her, and I want her back.”

The Council muttered among themselves for a little while. Adora turned to look both Glimmer and Bow in the eyes, wondering what they thought of all this, but they looked just as nonplussed as she was. Entrapta was staring around the room in wonder, probably only a second away from fishing out her recorder and beginning an entry on Otheron’s underground city. For all of their sakes, Adora hoped she’d wait a little bit longer.

“How are you planning to heal Otheron?” one of the aliens demanded. “There is little magic left here. You’ve seen the surface of this planet – it isn’t survivable. We moved down here many centuries ago, to be closer to the magic.”

“What magic?” Glimmer prompted curiously.

“There’s a substance which grows in the rock,” he clarified. “We mined it and used its raw essence to build our city. Our weapons. And, if we boil it down and consume it, it gives some of us the power to keep the rest of us alive.”

Adora remembered the aliens she’d seen walking on the cavern’s ceiling among trees and flowers. “Like grow plants? And… ignore gravity?”

“Yes. The magic has also created a light for us to see.” He paused, becoming grave again. “But after the First Ones came, we had very little magic left. Which is why we had to travel so deep to be able to live. Soon enough, there will be no more magic, and our people will have to flee.”

“We can help solve that,” Bow said confidently. “See, on the planet we come from, magic comes from runestones, and She-Ra has the most powerful one. She’ll be able to return magic to Otheron.”

Again, the Council descended into a flurry of uncertain muttering. Adora gave Bow a careful look. All she wanted was to know that Catra was alright, but there had been no sign of her so far. Was she being kept somewhere else? Perhaps she’d been kidnapped by a group of aliens that lived in a different underground city? Adora was full to the brim of a nervous, worried energy, and it wouldn't go away until she saw for herself that Catra was alive and safe.

Finally, the Council seemed to remember her demand. “We send scouts to the surface every two days. They told us you had arrived and we thought we had to prepare for another war. Your friend was brought back here. I assure you she’s safe.”

“So you took Catra as a… a hostage?” Glimmer snapped, sounding angry.

“If it’s true that you can help us heal Otheron and return it to what it once was, you can see your friend,” one of the Councilwomen decided. “But she can’t leave our city until you’ve succeeded.”

“So she’s still a hostage,” Adora sighed. Still, the fact that Catra was safe and she’d be allowed to see her was relieving enough. It filled her with enough hope to ignore the consequences of whatever deal these aliens intended to make with her. Adora knew she’d be able to heal Otheron, but she’d been struggling to keep her energy up ever since Krytis. The entire process could take days. Catra certainly wouldn’t enjoy being treated like a prisoner down here for that long.

“As long as Catra stays down here, we will too,” Adora finally decided. “Oh, and you can’t lock us up. We get to explore the city if we want to. And we-”

“Well, of course. You’ll be treated as our most honored guests,” one of the aliens interrupted, as if it were obvious.

“Your She-Ra will be bringing us the greatest gift of all if she returns to us the magic we’ve lost. I’m sure the rest of our people will treat you with the utmost respect,” another added.

“Oh.” Adora smiled, surprised yet again. “Well... great. So where's Catra?”

“Your friend will still be sleeping off the toxin we gave her,” one of the Council members explained. “Meanwhile, perhaps you can join us at a welcome feast?”

Adora set her jaw stubbornly. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me where she is.”

The Councillors looked a little nervous about challenging her – Adora wasn’t sure whether it was because they thought they had to respect her for what she’d promised to do for Otheron, or because they were scared of She-Ra’s power. Finally one of them nodded. “Roo will lead you,” he said, pointing at the little man who had guided them from their ship. “But your friends must stay. We'll have the feast later and you will see them then. All of you may have your own rooms.”

 _Are they trying to split us up on purpose?_ Adora glanced back at her friends. Even Entrapta didn’t seem particularly happy about the idea.

“I’ll stay with Catra,” Adora said, lifting her chin.

Glimmer crossed her arms. “Bow and I will share a room, too.” 

“And I’ll be with Darla!” Of course. Even though the ship had its own defense system, Entrapta wouldn’t leave her alone. Adora also had a distinct feeling that this conversation was boring her and Entrapta was simply waiting for the opportunity to escape and explore the city.

Again, there was some tentative muttering, but the Councillors didn’t deny them what they wanted. Adora was itching to see for herself that Catra was alright. She turned impatiently to the little green-eyed man and said, “Lead the way.” She shot her friends one last cautioning look before Roo showed her out of the chamber and back into the brightness of the underground city. Melog followed closely at her heels, clearly uncomfortable with having been away from Catra for so long. 

“So, what’s this city called?” Adora asked lightly once they had begun walking again.

Roo glanced at her. “Ma-Tish.”

“Oh. Huh… interesting name.” Looking around, Adora admired the way the artificial sun glittered off the buildings. “It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Roo sounded a little shy. He was younger than the Councilors but his skin was still wrinkled and it was hard to tell exactly how old he could be. For all she knew, these people had lived for centuries.

“You believed us, right? That we’re here to heal Otheron?”

To her surprise, Roo answered with honesty: “I don’t know. But I hope you can.” He smiled. “I’ve always wanted to know what the surface is like.”

“You’ve never been up there?”

“Few of us have. Only the bravest.”

Adora nodded. She’d seen for herself the dangers which waited up there. Memories of multiple wars had probably been passed down through generations – memories that taught fear. She’d grown up being taught to fear the Rebellion, so she could relate to Roo’s people. Nevertheless, she'd learned herself that sometimes fear did more harm than good.

Roo took Adora and Melog into a stone building which had been carved out of one of the cavern’s walls. It was furnished with more of that odd transparent material which seemed to glitter from every angle. She still had to duck to fit through all the doorways but was pleased when Roo led her finally to a room which she could stand up in. Even the bed was a proper size, as was the table and a single chair. While it was a nice room, it still reminded Adora of a jail cell. She figured that was what a room of this size would probably be used for - after all, none of the little people would have any need for it.

Adora immediately ran to the bed and fell to her knees beside Catra’s prone form. Catra was curled up in an almost defensive position, snoring softly, but her ears twitched when Adora gently stroked the side of her face. All at once, Adora was so relieved that she could cry. She turned to Roo, who was watching them, and mumbled, “Thanks.”

He nodded and left, closing the door behind him. Adora turned back to Catra and touched her face again, following the line of her cheek. Only hours had passed since they last saw each other, but a lot had changed. Adora was reminded oddly of the day she left the Fright Zone in search of She-Ra’s sword – and then, a short time later, met Catra on the battlefield. The night before, they had been best friends, but in a day they had become enemies.

More than anything, Adora wanted to ask if Catra was okay. Instead, she removed her shoes and climbed onto the bed to cuddle up beside her. Melog bounded onto the bed and sniffed Catra's face before curling up by their feet with a satisfied mewling sound. Adora hugged Catra until she felt the anxiety of the past hours finally drain from her body and a familiar comfort set in. And then, listening to Catra's steady breathing, she closed her eyes.


	4. A Journey of the Spirit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora convinces Catra to admit that something has been bothering her ever since the defeat of Horde Prime. At the welcome feast thrown by the citizens of Ma-Tish, Adora is asked to partake in a dangerous ritual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of an angsty chapter. Might be a few mistakes in this one - I'll go back through and correct them if I see any. Thanks for all the kudos and reads :)  
> How're you liking the story so far?  
> (uh also whoops forgot to add some Melog in so check through the last chapter for some tiny changes... Also while it was never specified, I always kinda saw Melog as female, so that's how I've written her in this fic)

Catra awoke to what she thought were blank metal walls and a suffocating darkness. She felt pressure at the back of her neck and it simultaneously shocked and terrified her. Flashes of that green pool, Horde Prime’s snake-like smile, the religious chanting of his clones – all of it came back to her with incredible force. She gasped and violently clawed at the thing on the back of her neck.

“Ow!” Adora cried out.

Leaping off the bed, Catra turned to stare with wild, desperate eyes, realizing she wasn’t on Horde Prime’s ship after all. Through her adrenaline-fueled fear, she saw Adora pressing a hand to bleeding scratches on her cheek and looking at her in confusion. Melog had let out an angry growl and turned on Adora in response to Catra's fear, teeth sharp and poised to bite, only to hold back from attacking as Catra's fear transformed into doubt. Catra lifted a shaking hand to the back of her neck and felt nothing there but a small scar – no chip. She was safe.

But she’d hurt Adora.

Catra immediately felt her eyes well up with tears and she quickly turned her face away. Melog glanced at Adora once, looking guilty, and then jumped off the bed and hid behind Catra's legs.

After Adora had rescued her from Horde Prime, and once the chip had been removed, Catra had thought the fear would be gone. But then the nightmares began. They were always the same – either Catra had Adora pinned down, claws at her throat, or she was about to push her off the edge of a platform to her death at the bottom of Horde Prime's ship. Each time she prepared to kill Adora, there was nothing she could do to stop it, and she heard Prime’s laughter ringing in her ears. For months she had been trying to ignore the dreams. They’d had a home to return to, and Etheria to save, and she’d been worried enough for Adora’s life back then that it drew her mind away from her own problems. And then, after Horde Prime was gone, she discovered that sleeping beside Adora often made the nightmares go away anyway.

But now it had actually _happened_. She’d woken up thinking she was somewhere else, and she’d lashed out without thinking. And if she hadn't hurt Adora herself, Melog might have. Melog loved Adora, but being imprinted to Catra's emotions meant that she had no more control than Catra did.

“Catra?” Adora quickly came to her side. “Are you crying?”

“No,” Catra grumbled. She avoided Adora’s comforting touch, knowing she didn’t deserve it. When Adora looked hurt, she finally glanced at her face and saw the bleeding scratches on her cheek, and her stomach tightened with guilt. “Stay away from me,” she whispered. A bitter taste filled her mouth.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Adora reached for her again but Catra hurriedly ducked under her arm and escaped to the other side of the room. Melog followed, brushing against her legs comfortingly, but she pushed her back too.

“I’m serious. _Stay away_ ," she hissed.

Adora stared at her, eyes wide and lips parted in surprise. She glanced at Melog, who had turned a bright pink and was mewling morosely. “I… don’t understand.” Her eyebrows furrowed. “Did they do something to you? Did they hurt you?”

Recalling suddenly the little hands which had carried her, Catra gulped. Now she remembered. She and Adora had been about to explore the ruins but she’d been caught off-guard. No, they hadn’t hurt her, but they’d put her in a dark place where she couldn't move, which was all too familiar in her nightmares. All at once, Catra had so many questions she thought she might explode. Had they kidnapped Adora, too, or had she come to find her? Melog hadn't been with them at the ruins, so the latter seemed more likely at this point.

Catra pressed her back against the wall and slid down into a sitting. She stared at the carpeted floor and felt more tears spill over her cheeks. Glancing up to see the scratches on Adora’s face again, she muttered, “I’m sorry.”

“What happened?” Adora asked gently. She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, giving Catra space, but looked like she wanted to put her arms around her.

Catra hugged her knees to her chest. When they’d been enemies, Adora’s blood on her claws hadn’t bothered her so much. Now it made her feel sick. When she’d been choosing to fight Adora, it had been different. But when Horde Prime _made_ her do it, when she’d had no control, Catra had realized how terrifying Adora’s death would actually be. Catra would spend her life trying to prove that she’d never hurt her again, but what if she couldn’t control herself?

“Where are we?” she asked finally.

Adora’s brow wrinkled further with worry but she finally said, “An underground city. Ma-Tish, it’s called. The natives kidnapped you and we followed you down here. But they’re not hostile, don’t worry – they’ll treat us like guests.”

Catra wondered if being disoriented had made her nightmares return. She wondered if the fear of being kidnapped and controlled again had been on her subconscious this whole time, and she’d only needed a single trigger to make it flare up again. Ignoring her memories had been a terrible idea. Now they were going to haunt her.

“You came after me,” Catra said flatly.

“Well, duh.” Adora smiled a little. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Years of believing she’d been abandoned and betrayed were still enough to make Catra doubt the girl who had once been her closest friend. She wondered if Adora sometimes doubted her, too.

Adora got off the bed and came to kneel in front of her, searching her eyes. “Please tell me what’s wrong. You haven’t scratched me like that since…”

Since they were kids. When Catra's nightmares had extended into reality. She buried her face in her arms. “I’m sorry,” she said again, voice muffled. She wished she could sound less brittle. For months, she’d presented herself as happy, and Adora seemed to like that version of her.

Reaching out, Adora gently pulled her arms away from her face. “You can tell me anything.”

Catra didn’t know how to make her understand. As much as she wanted to protect Adora, she selfishly didn’t want to have to lose her in the process. She gingerly touched the back of her neck again. “I thought I was… somewhere else. And then I hurt you.”

“That much was kinda obvious,” Adora joked lightly. “Where did you think you were?”

Catra winced. “Horde Prime’s ship. And I thought the chip was… I tried to get it off… you know, before he could take control again.” She hunched in on herself, embarrassed to even admit that Horde Prime still haunted her.

More than anything, she hated the look of pity Adora gave her. Gently, Adora reached beneath her ear and touched the nape of her neck. Catra flinched, but she let the contact calm her. Adora’s fingers brushed smooth skin, not a chip. When Adora pulled away, she said, “See? Nothing there.”

“I _know_ there’s nothing there,” Catra snapped irritably, unable to help suppress her frustration. “But when I dream that I’ve just tried to hurt you and then I wake up terrified, I can’t help but imagine the worst.”

Now Adora was looking at her in shock. “You dreamed that you tried to hurt me?”

“I have nightmares where try to I _kill_ you,” Catra growled. “Those are the only dreams I ever have.”

For a moment there was only silence. “Oh.”

“Someday I might wake up and really hurt you. I might not be able to control myself. Everyone I love ends up leaving me one way or another.” She knew she sounded pitiful, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop. She lowered her head and whispered, “I’d rather you left me alive like last time rather than… dead.”

If Adora heard the mild bitterness in her voice, she didn't take it to heart. “You won’t kill me,” Adora said, as if she was being an idiot. “And I’m not gonna _leave_ , dumb-ass. I just broke into a secret city and made a deal with a tiny alien Council just so I could find you.” She softened her voice. “What you’re feeling now? It’s not real. I promise. And it won’t last forever.”

“I thought the dreams went away,” Catra sighed. “Normally when I’m with you I feel… safe.”

At that, Adora smiled brightly. “Good.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Ugh, stop apologizing.” Adora leaned forwards and pulled her into a tight hug. “Normally I wouldn’t mind you grovelling, but it’s getting _really_ tiring.”

Catra hugged her back gratefully, pressing her face into her neck. After a moment, Adora asked, “Seriously, though, how long have you been having these nightmares?” When Catra didn’t reply, that seemed to be the answer she expected. “Since Horde Prime? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know.”

Adora drew back to look her in the eye. “I love you. And I want you to trust me. You know that’s how relationships work, right?”

“Don’t be a smart-ass,” Catra muttered. “That’s supposed to be my thing.”

Adora grinned again. After a moment, the smile faded and sadness filled her big blue eyes. The emotion looked so wrong on her face that Catra wanted to shake it out of her. “I wish my powers could heal minds. I don’t like seeing you like this.”

“Even She-Ra can’t fix everything,” Catra pointed out, smirking slightly. _And if she could, there’s so much messed up stuff in my head that she’d struggle to understand where my pain’s even coming from._

“Still.” Adora leaned in and tenderly kissed her forehead, and then climbed to her feet. She extended a hand. “Come over here.”

Unsure of what she had in mind, Catra reached out and let Adora pull her to her feet and lead her back over to the bed. When Adora pulled her down into another embrace, Catra tucked both arms around her and held on tight. She pressed her face to the warmth of Adora’s chest and realized all of a sudden how stupid she was being. And then she chuckled.

“What?”

“I don’t know why I thought I couldn’t tell you. You’re literally the only person I trust in the whole universe. Who else would help me? Sparkles? Arrow Boy?”

“Glimmer and Bow care about you, too,” Adora said chidingly, but Catra could feel her smiling at the nicknames. They both fell silent. Adora traced the back of her neck absently. Catra closed her eyes and leaned into the touch. Everything about Adora was so familiar; from her smell, to the shape of her body, to the sound of her breathing. It only took a minute for Catra to finally feel calm again. She began to purr and sensed that Adora was enjoying the sound.

Melog, realizing she was no longer banished, jumped onto the bed and curled against Catra's back, copying her purring. She smiled and reached behind her to pat her companion's flank. “Tell me how you found me. Tell me everything,” Catra said suddenly. She propped herself up on one elbow to see her girlfriend’s face. “And tell me what this tiny alien Council said.”

Adora smiled at her, tucking some hair behind one ear. “If you want.”

When the Council mentioned a welcome feast, they apparently meant it would be a feast for the entire city. Catra stuck close to Adora as they were led by one of the smallest creatures she’d ever seen into a large chamber filled almost to the brim with other little creatures. Adora had introduced their guide as ‘Roo’, which was a strange name, but it was no stranger than the size of his grass-green eyes or the purple color of his bald, wrinkled skin. Glimmer, Bow and Entrapta were waiting for them. The moment they saw Catra, their smiles grew, and she felt self-conscious at the attention.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Glimmer said sincerely, pulling her in for a tight hug. Bow hugged her too and the relief in his eyes made Catra feel embarrassed. And gratified. She knew that Adora’s friends were now her friends, and they’d even grown to like her, but for them to be so worried about her was… different. Heart-warming. Catra wasn’t used to it. She still didn’t entirely think she deserved it.

Clearing her throat, she muttered, “Yeah, well, they didn’t treat me too bad. Best sleep of my life, actually.”

Entrapta patted her shoulder. “I’m glad you aren’t dead.”

“Thanks.” Catra smiled down at her. No one commented on the scratches on Adora's cheek. Catra silently thanked them for minding their own business.

The little aliens were watching their reunion closely, chattering amongst themselves. Catra noticed most of them seemed particularly interested in Adora, and remembered that She-Ra was supposed to be some sort of honored guest. They didn’t seem so happy about her presence, though – perhaps they thought she’d prove just as evil as the First Ones had been. 

When the food was brought out, Entrapta looked so delighted that Catra thought she was about to scream. “Tiny food!” she said happily.

“Yeah, who’d have guessed?” Catra said. “Tiny people eat tiny food.”

Adora elbowed her in the side. It was true that all the food was tiny. Catra had no idea what most it was made of, and she wasn’t sure she wanted any of it near her mouth. Still, when Adora took the lead and began to collect some items from the table, Catra knew she would have to eat out of respect. These people meant them no harm – as long as they were courteous.

Adora, Catra, Bow, Glimmer and Entrapta sat in their own corner of the chamber, keeping to themselves. None of the city’s inhabitants attempted to speak to them. Not even the Council members Adora had pointed out to Catra seemed interested in striking up a conversation.

“This place is weird,” Catra said finally.

Entrapta enthusiastically agreed, “Isn’t it great? Everyone here has a job – there are farmers, hunters, Councillors… _everyone_ in Ma-Tish is important! Without them the whole city would just fall apart. It’s like one giant machine!” She spread her hands to emphasize her point.

“How much of the city have you seen?” Bow asked, looking at her curiously.

“All of it!” Excitedly, she added, “Oh, and one of the natives gave me some of the substance their magic is made from. I’m gonna give Darla one hell of a makeover.”

“Uh… please don’t forget we still need the ship to get out of here,” Adora said.

Ignoring her, Entrapta returned to the long table in the center of the room so she could stuff her face with yet more tiny food. The little people looked at her almost in awe – they seemed to like Entrapta, in fact, just as much as she liked them. Catra wondered how someone so oblivious could be so charming. Then she looked at Adora and smiled, realizing she already knew.

Finally, the city’s Councillors approached Adora with a large flask of something that glowed purple. They smiled and offered it to her as a gift. Adora took the flask but made no move to drink from it.

“It's our power,” one of them explained.

“Oh, that’s the substance I was telling you about!” Entrapta mused, appearing by Adora’s side in an instant. 

Catra was prepared to bat the flask away if Adora tried to take a sip. With everyone in the chamber watching, however, she wasn’t sure she would get away with such an act.

“This is an important ritual,” another of the Councillors said, frowning at Adora as she hesitated. “As a gift, we offer our most revered guest a swill of Otheron’s magic.”

“You should drink it,” Glimmer said suddenly, turning to Adora. “You said you found it hard trying to heal as She-Ra so soon after Krytis. Maybe it’s more magic you need?”

“But that isn’t… the same kind of magic. Is it?” Bow eyed the drink.

“Magic is magic,” one of the Council people said impatiently. “We want to help you, First One. Don’t take this offering lightly.”

Adora looked between her friends, finally settling her eyes on Catra’s face. While Catra still felt uncertain, she’d seen plenty of times with her own eyes how powerful She-Ra was. Magic couldn’t possibly hurt a being so strong – Glimmer was right; it would probably just make her even stronger. Tentatively, Catra nodded.

Adora lifted the flask to her lips and drank. Everyone in the chamber seemed to watch her with bated breath, silence falling, until the purple liquid was drained completely. Adora handed back the flask and wiped the back of her hand across her lips. The little people began to chant. Catra didn’t notice it at first; it began with just the Councilors, but soon the entire room was repeating the same words in a language which Catra didn’t understand. She watched Adora’s face as her pupils dilated and her irises glowed bright with She-Ra’s power. The chanting seemed to bring the magic to life inside of her.

The Councilors all grabbed one of her hands each and pulled her before the crowd of people in the chamber. A cheer resounded and there was the vibration of stomping feet. Frowning, Catra exchanged a glance with Bow and Glimmer, trying to wrap her head around what was happening. The little people had seemed to distrust Adora before, but now they were treating her like one of their own.

Eventually, the stomping and cheering quietened and the Councillors released Adora’s arms to let her stand alone before them. Her eyes widened, glowing so brightly that Catra had to look away to protect her gaze, thinking that she was about to transform into She-Ra.

Instead, Adora let out a choked gasp and abruptly fell backwards.

Catra darted ahead just in time to catch her, lowering her body gently to the ground. The glow still burned in Adora’s eyes, but they were glazed over, seeing something faraway. Catra stood and instantly extended her claws towards the Councillors, making them stumble back in fear. “What did you do?” she growled, her anger igniting.

“She is going on a journey of the spirit,” one of them said gravely, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. “Your She-Ra has not been harmed.”

“What? What does that mean?!”

Glimmer was cupping Adora’s face with both hands, trying to meet her eyes, but no matter how hard she tried, Adora’s gaze always slid away. It was like she was somewhere else entirely.

“If She-Ra is as powerful as she says she is, the magic will become her own.”

“And if it doesn’t?” Bow demanded, also kneeling at Adora’s side with an expression of horror.

The Councillors didn’t answer, but Catra got the gist. They hadn’t explained the consequences of their magic on purpose. They had prepared this to test her. Catra could have torn them apart for it. Adora was mumbling something; Catra bent with an ear to her lips.

“… They’re here…”

“Who's here?” Catra asked softly.

“… First Ones… they came…” As Catra watched, a tear fell from the corner of Adora’s eye. It made her own eyes burn with emotion as she realized how helpless she was. Only a couple of hours ago, it had been Adora comforting her – now Catra couldn’t even do the same in return.

“She’s seeing our history,” one of the Councillors said quietly, clasping his hands in front of him.

“How’s the magic connected to your history?” Entrapta asked curiously.

“The magic is a part of Otheron. Otheron is a part of us.”

Catra had no idea what the hell that meant, but Entrapta went “ohhhh...” as if she completely understood his words.

The chamber was slowly emptying as the little people returned to their various tasks throughout the city. The Councillors turned to go, too, and Catra seriously considered setting Melog on their heels - she was just as distressed as Catra was, growling in their direction, and it wouldn't take much for her to attack. One firm look from Glimmer held them both back. With a great effort, Catra bit down her anger and drew Melog into her side.

Finally, Roo reappeared and gave Catra a nervous look. She realized he was scared of her. He helped them carry Adora’s body back to their room, where they laid her on the bed. Her friends surrounded her. Glimmer was biting her lip, looking frantic, and Bow circled her shoulders with one arm to pull her close, his eyes dark with worry. Even Entrapta stared at Adora with a sort of tense concern. Sensing Catra's nervousness, Melog had begun pacing the room, tail swishing from side to side.

Roo turned to Catra and tentatively asked, “Is she your Second Soul?”

“Uh…” Catra’s cheeks heated as she tried to ignore all the eyes on her face. “What’s that?”

Roo smiled shyly. “My apologies if I’ve embarrassed you. I sense a bond – a strong one. Those are very rare. My people call it a Second Soul, for when you find a mirror of your own spirit in another.”

“…Oh.” She and Adora shared a bond which had lasted an entire lifetime. Catra had always wanted Adora to love her back, but she hadn’t realized that by getting what she wanted, love would suddenly gain mortality. She had a feeling that she’d only love as long as Adora lived – _that_ was how strong their bond was. 

Catra cleared her throat. “Then yes. I guess she is my… Second Soul.”

Roo said, “My own Second once partook in the ritual. She lives today – her power keeps our sun alive.” Shuffling his feet, he gestured towards Adora and added, “There isn’t much you can do but comfort her. She’ll sense you’re here. Her journey won’t last long, I promise.”

Catra still didn’t understand what ‘journey’ these little people kept talking about. Why did they all have to speak in stupid riddles? Slowly, she nodded, grateful that he had at least tried to offer some advice. When Roo left, she turned to her friends. “You can go, too.”

Glimmer shook her head stubbornly. “I'm staying. I want to be here for her.”

“ _I’m_ here,” Catra said flatly.

An unspoken argument flew between them until finally Glimmer sighed. She glanced at Bow and he nodded. “Tell us when she wakes up,” he said to Catra. “Please. We’re in a room down the hall.”

Hesitantly, Entrapta reached out and touched Adora’s cheek with a tuft of her hair. “I’ll learn more about the substance they gave her. Maybe that’ll help?”

The suggestion was sweet, especially coming from someone who wasn’t well-versed in human emotion. “Yeah. Thanks,” Catra said. She suddenly felt exhausted. Entrapta patted her shoulder, giving her a doleful look, and then left the room with Glimmer and Bow close behind.

Catra sat on the bed and looked down at Adora’s face. Yet again, Adora was suffering for the sake of others. This time, it was for a planet and a people she hardly knew. Sacrifice seemed to be the only thing Adora was capable of. And, as the one person who had probably been agonized the most due to Adora’s hero complex, Catra couldn’t help but feel exasperated.

The one important choice Adora had made for herself had been in Catra’s arms at the Heart of Etheria. She hadn’t needed anyone to tell her what she wanted – she just knew. Catra wondered if Adora would ever learn to put herself first again. If she was always in the middle of danger, at the center of attention, Catra was going to have to spend her whole life worrying about losing her.

Catra sighed and did as Roo had suggested, taking Adora’s hand and offering her comfort. There was no sign that Adora even knew she was there. She was still muttering unintelligibly, her eyes distant, and Catra wondered what she was seeing. Her skin was warm as if she had a fever, but Catra recognized the feel of magic running through her veins.

Either She-Ra was about to lose herself in whatever distant land those eyes were seeing, or she was going to return stronger than ever. Catra could only hope she’d make it back safely.


	5. The Wrong Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora's visions not only tell her more about the First Ones and the struggles of the little people, but also herself. She has an epiphany.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter (sweeter) chapter. Bit angsty again. Clearly Adora still has some learning to do.

Adora woke up to a war. She was lying on a soft bed of purple grass and the air around her was shimmering with magic. When she climbed to her feet she realized the world around her had no reaction to her presence – she was just a spectator. She saw the little people dressed in shining armour, riding those strange-looking giant insects with sharp mandibles and claws. Most of the little people seemed to have impressive magic; they were almost as powerful as the Princesses of Etheria. They wielded a magic as bright as the sun, setting brilliant fires in their wake. Adora had to shield her eyes.

Adora also saw the First Ones. She recognized them by their clothing, their height, but she’d never seen them fighting like this before. They had come for Otheron’s magic, and they weren’t going to give it up easily. Unbidden, seeds of information began to bloom in Adora’s mind: the little people had lived simple lives before the First Ones came. Otheron’s forests had given them magic, and they had only taken what they knew they could give back. The little people had believed in a balance. They had lived with little fear, knowing that as long as they loved their world, it would protect them. When the First Ones came, they upset the balance.

The little people weren’t made for war. As Adora watched, battles ended and many scores of the little people were killed in defence of their planet. The rest of them retreated into burrows underground, realizing they had lost. Triumphant, the First Ones extracted the rest of Otheron’s magic from its surface, cutting down the forests and slaughtering the animals. Adora felt a deep sadness bloom in her chest as she saw what they’d done to such a beautiful world – all for the sake of progress and profit. The First Ones were no better than Horde Prime. Both had ruined planets for the sake of power. She understood now why the little people had been so wary of She-Ra’s presence in their city.

After the First Ones left Otheron, there was a short period of respite. When the little people returned to the surface, they found their beautiful world ransacked, and there were few resources left to live on. Below the ground, they had begun construction of Ma-Tish, the new city, and discovered that stores of magic had been left in Otheron’s crust – a rock that had once been the trees, plants and animals which had since died and become compressed beneath the surface. With the use of this magic, the little people began a new era.

Ships from Horde Prime’s fleet landed almost a century later. Otheron had already been barren, but after finding nothing left alive, the Horde torched the surface and reduced all of the little people’s remaining cities to rubble. The little people no longer had any reason to return to the surface which had once been their home. Hiding inside the womb of the planet they had so loved, they continued their simple lives, digging deeper and deeper to find the stores of magic which would keep them alive.

Adora blinked and the past was over – but she saw a glowing path stretching ahead of her. She saw She-Ra as a beacon of light, and all around her Otheron was coming to life again. As her power spread across the surface, she saw that trees were growing, creatures were returning, and the air began to glow again with magic. The little people came up to the surface to see that their world was back as it used to be. Taking She-Ra into their arms, they rejoiced for all she had done.

Adora expected it to end there. It didn’t. She’d thought she would only see the little people’s future, but her mind shifted and soon she was shown her own, too. This time there were many more paths leading ahead of her. Adora took the first one, curious to see where it led.

Adora was kneeling on the edge of a cliff and her muscles seared with pain. A being she couldn’t see stood behind her, holding her own sword to the back of her neck. Even though she was in her She-Ra form, she felt weak, and she realized he had somehow drained her of her magic. She’d never known powers like his existed. Adora closed her eyes as bitter fear rose up inside of her. While she waited for the final blow to come, it never did – Bow came to her rescue just in time, shooting her adversary in the back with an arrow and sending him tumbling over the edge of the cliff. Adora’s sword clattered to the ground beside her. When she turned around, still on hands and knees, she saw Bow and Glimmer standing behind her, both pale.

“Adora… oh my god.” Glimmer looked like she was about to cry. She ran over and threw her arms around Adora’s neck. “Are you okay?”

Adora didn’t reply. She didn’t know where she was.

“Why'd you leave alone? Why do you _never_ let us help you?” Bow demanded, striding over. He looked angry, but Adora knew he was just worried.

What had she done?

Before Adora could grasp an understanding, the scene shifted and she was surrounded by darkness. She was standing in the doorway of a room – _her_ room, she realized. She was on the ship. Her whole body was aching and she knew that this must be happening shortly after that scene on the cliff with Bow and Glimmer. Looking across at the bed, she saw that Catra was lying with her back turned. When Adora approached and climbed into bed beside her, Catra flinched but made no move to face her.

“Catra?” Adora tentatively reached out to touch her shoulder.

Abruptly, Catra sat up, roughly shoving her hand away, and Adora realized she had angry tears in her eyes. She wouldn’t look at her. Adora was struck with a guilt she didn’t understand and a frustration that no matter what she did, she always seemed to make Catra upset. “Catra, please just…look at me.”

When Catra made to climb out of bed and leave, Adora panicked. She reached out and tugged her into her arms, holding on even when she felt claws digging sharply into her back. Catra’s anger leapt out at her, pushing her away only to grapple her closer, and once her anger had burned down to the embers, Adora felt her grief, as if she’d already lost something she loved.

“I can’t do this anymore,” Catra whispered. “I _can’t_ , Adora.”

Adora’s throat tightened. She felt scared again, but somehow even more scared than she’d felt on that cliff. “What do you mean?”

“You have to choose.” Catra struggled out of her arms and glared down at her, wiping tears from her face. “Either you spend the rest of your life sacrificing who you are for other people, or you spend your life with _me_.”

Adora frowned. Irritably, she retorted, “So, basically, you’re making me choose you or She-Ra? You know I can’t do that. Why can’t I choose both?”

“Oh, come on, Adora,” Catra snapped. “If you really loved me, you’d care how much it hurts to have to watch you almost die over and over again!” New tears spilled over her cheeks. “Every time you do anything, it’s always for everyone else – people you don’t even know, who probably don’t even care that much about you – but you never do _anything_ for me.”

Adora gaped at her. “That’s not true!”

“Yes it is.” Catra gave her a sad, hollow look. “I thought you’d changed, Adora. I thought, for once, you’d finally chosen _me_ instead of the world.” She let out a dry laugh. “I feel like such an idiot.”

Adora grabbed her wrist as she made to leave again, heart beating rapidly in her chest as she realized what this meant. “No – Catra – I’ll try, I promise I’ll try!”

“No you _won’t!_ ” Catra hissed, yanking her arm away. She cradled it to her chest like Adora’s touch had hurt her. In that moment, she looked like a wounded animal, and the bitter anger in her mismatched eyes was painfully familiar. “You’ve made your choice. Now I’m making mine.” She moved to the door, but before she left, she turned back and gave Adora one last fierce look. “I can’t stick around and wait for you to finally realize what you’re doing to me. And I’m definitely not gonna watch you kill yourself. This time I’m done, Adora. I’m really, really _done_. And I’m not coming back.”

Adora felt all the breath leave her lungs. She wanted to get up and follow her, fall to her knees and beg her to stay, but she could only stare as Catra left the room and disappeared. This was her own doing – it had been coming all along. Adora felt a tear roll down her cheek, and when she lifted a hand to wipe it away, the scene changed once more.

This time she was back in Bright Moon. She was leaning in the doorway of Glimmer and Bow’s room. Her friends were now King and Queen and Glimmer was pregnant with their first child. Adora smiled at how happy they looked. When she turned around, searching automatically for Catra, thinking she must be here too, she felt coldness rush down her spine.

A voice in her mind whispered, _Catra isn’t here_. _She hasn’t been here for a long time._

The recognition made Adora’s blood turn to ice, and suddenly her knees felt too weak to support her weight. Whatever this feeling was, it was much worse than death, because there was no foreseeable ending to it. Her chest was tight, hurting, and when she slid to the floor she found she couldn’t breathe. It had been years since Catra had left, going off on her own, and no one had heard from her since. Adora didn’t even know if she was still alive.

Bow crouched beside her, looking worriedly into her eyes. “It’s happening again,” he said grimly, glancing over his shoulder at Glimmer. Both of them looked pitying, but not at all surprised. “Go get the doctor.”

Adora wanted to ask what he meant, but all that came out were gut-wrenching sobs. And all of a sudden she realized how unbearably alone she felt. So many planets had been saved. Magic was truly filling the universe, just as she’d hoped, but there was no happiness at knowing her own success. She’d done so much for the universe, for all the people she’d met, but they couldn’t give her what she needed. They didn’t make her feel satisfied. Happy. They could rejoice in She-Ra’s name however much they wanted; they could praise her for what she’d done; but none of it filled the empty space inside of her. Once there was no more danger, and she had nothing left to do, Adora was alone. She had her friends, but they all had each other. They didn’t need her as much as she needed them.

Bow put his arms around her, hugging her tightly. “It’s okay,” he murmured into her ear. She couldn’t stop crying. In fact, not only was she lonely, but she felt sick. Adora wondered if it was possible to die from heartache.

“It’s not okay,” she whispered. “I’ve done this to myself.”

“Don’t be stupid.” When Bow pulled away, she examined his face, realizing how much older he looked. He ruled a kingdom. He was in love. Soon, he’d have a child. Bow had never given up what he wanted to save the world. Neither had Glimmer. They had both fought the same fights Adora did – maybe they weren’t She-Ra, but they’d had to make their own sacrifices. They had been selfless, just as selfless as Adora was. The only difference was that they’d known something she hadn’t: being a hero didn’t mean sacrificing everything they wanted. Even heroes needed love. Even heroes deserved to be selfish sometimes.

Now, it was much too late for that.

Adora had always felt that she was following her heart, right from the moment she found She-Ra’s sword. She’d thought that saving people, making everyone happy, was what she wanted. She hadn’t been following her heart at all.

With that realization, the scene shifted again, and Adora found herself in an endless darkness. There were no more paths to choose from. She’d seen everything she needed to. With an odd rushing sound like water draining down a sinkhole, Adora felt magic swell around her and she shut her eyes tightly against it, letting her body drift along with the waves.

It was time to wake up.

When Adora woke up, two things happened. First, she felt a change deep in her chest – in her heart – in reaction to the future the magic had shown her. It was a very sudden shift; a knowledge that she had a choice to make if she wanted to change those events. Second, she felt the magic swell in her veins, overflowing, and almost as soon as she opened her eyes, she was transforming automatically into She-Ra.

Adora hadn’t been able to shift without saying the words ‘ _For the honor of Greyskull!_ ’ since the Heart of Etheria. It felt incredible – her body seemed full to bursting with raw power. She was on her feet in an instant, sword in hand, and her glow shone through the room. When Adora turned, she saw Catra gawking at her from the chair in the corner.

“That was… unexpected.” Catra stood up, beginning to smile in relief. “Good morni-”

Before she could finish the sentence, Adora stepped over and bent to kiss her fiercely, taking her face in both hands. Catra didn’t seem to know how to react, stiffening in surprise. Finally, she wrapped both hands around Adora’s neck and pulled her closer until they were pressed tight together. They kissed for a long time and Adora relaxed into the knowledge that they still had all the time in the world together. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.

Catra pulled away to stare at her, flushing slightly. “Not that I’m complaining, but… what was that for? You missed me _that_ much?”

Adora shook her head wordlessly.

“Fine. Don’t tell me.” Catra yanked Adora’s head back down and kissed her again, just as fiercely as the first time. It was annoying having to bend so far to kiss her; eventually, Adora picked her up and deposited her on the table. Setting her hands on either side of Catra’s hips, she felt lithe legs wrap around her waist, holding her close. Claws dug into her back but she didn’t mind the sting. Adora had never learned to live in the moment before. Now, she didn’t mind forgetting that she had a job to do, and that there was a conversation to be had. She was just… happy. Happy in a way her future self could never have been.

“Oh. Wow. Sorry to interrupt.” Bow put a hand over his eyes. Glimmer was giggling behind him in the doorway. “We came to see if Adora was…” He paused, blushing. “Well, obviously she’s awake now. And perfectly fine.”

“Yeah, she’s great,” Catra deadpanned, and a flick of her tail betrayed her annoyance at having been interrupted. She finally released Adora’s body, letting her back away, and then jumped off the table.

Adora went to her friends and hugged each of them close. Once she pulled away, Bow and Glimmer looked up at her confusion. “Are you actually okay?” Glimmer asked, still laughing slightly. “Not that you’re never this happy to see us, but…”

Adora cleared her throat, realizing everyone was staring at her – even Melog, head cocked and ears perked up. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She smiled. “ _Better_ than fine. I feel great.”

“What do you remember? One of the Councillors said the magic let you see their history?”

“Yeah, I did. Uh… among other things.” Adora summoned the sword back into her hand. “I should go and speak to them.”

“Not yet,” Bow said, holding a hand out to stop her. “There’s gonna be an official meeting tomorrow.”

Adora frowned. At the strange expressions on her friends’ faces, she demanded, “How long was I asleep?”

“Two days,” Glimmer answered her. “They said if you weren’t awake by three… you’d never wake up.”

The mood in the room seemed to drop. Adora glanced into each of her friends’ faces, sighing. “Oh. I’m… sorry.”

Bow’s brow crinkled. “Why?”

She wasn’t sure how to explain the things she’d envisioned. Her new full understanding of how it must feel for her friends always having to watch her risk her life had changed the way she saw them. Now she felt bad for making them worry. Shrugging, Adora closed her eyes and let She-Ra leave her; it was easier than usual – the transformation took less than a second. After the disorientation wore off, she noticed that her friends were still all staring at her. “What?”

“You’re just… acting really weird,” Catra said with a slight smirk. “Maybe I didn’t catch you fast enough – did you hit your head when you fell?” She grabbed Adora’s face and made a big show of inspecting her. “Did all that magic give you brain damage?”

“My brain is _fine_ ,” Adora retorted, struggling out of her grip.

“How do you feel?” Glimmer asked.

“Powerful.” Adora grinned and brushed some hair out of her face. “Transforming is easy now – easier than it’s ever been.”

“Fixing Otheron will be a piece of cake then, huh?” Catra mused.

Adora nodded confidently. She sighed and complained, “Do I really have to wait till tomorrow? I just feel so _pumped_ right now-”

Before she could even finish speaking, she felt her skin prickle and threw her head back as She-Ra took over once more. The transformation was so quick, and so sudden, that she felt even more disoriented than usual. Adora froze, glancing down at her sword, and then looked sheepishly at her friends, all of whom were staring at her in blank shock.

“…See?”

“Is that gonna be a regular thing?” Catra asked, gesturing at She-Ra’s form and frowning a little. “What, suddenly you want to be She-Ra all the time?”

Adora blushed, a little confused. “I… didn’t mean to do that.”

“Well, whatever they made you drink, it’s definitely made She-Ra stronger,” Glimmer mused. She stepped aside. “Come on, let’s go find the Council. This _definitely_ can’t wait.”

Pleased that she’d finally be able to do something with the unrestrained energy in her body, Adora immediately strode out of the room. Once they’d crawled out of the entrance of the building into the city, Adora automatically grabbed her girlfriend's hand. Catra shot her a half-amused, half-pleased smile.

As they strode through the city, the little people stopped to stare at She-Ra. Perhaps they were surprised she'd even survived that doze of Otheron's magic - or perhaps they'd realized that she seemed to exude a brighter glow than normal. She ignored their eyes, focused only on meeting the Council and receiving permission to return to the surface. She was partly rushing because she wanted to get Otheron’s future sorted quickly; once the forests and animals had returned, she’d no longer have a duty to the little people. She could then focus on her own part of those visions the magic had shown her. On the other hand, she also wanted to spend time with Catra now that she saw how tenuous their relationship still was; the future Adora had seen without her was a terrible one. Was that really how Catra felt about her? Catra was quite possibly the only person she had ever loved, so how could there ever be anyone else? How could Adora ask for anything but forever? She had to make sure Catra would stay.

Returning magic to the universe could wait – and so would She-Ra – until Adora had made sure of her own happiness. For once, she had realized the importance of being selfish.


	6. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She-Ra heals Otheron and Adora tries to prevent a lonely future.

The power left Adora’s body in a wild rush. She gave in to it, aiming her sword ahead of her and digging her feet into the ground. The magic rung in her ears and she felt waves of it tingling through her extremities. But she held fast and it kept on going. The sensation was so powerful that she found her vision greying at the edges, her heart pumping wildly.

Almost as soon as she’d expended all of She-Ra’s energy, Adora found herself falling to her knees with the sword buried deep into the dusty soil in front of her. The magic struck through Otheron’s crust as well, filling its centre with the magic which had been drained so long ago. She closed her eyes as the restless power flowed from her body in endless waves – and then she felt the feeling cease.

When she opened her eyes, she was surrounded by shadows. Trees. Tall grass which reached her knees. Bubbling brooks and streams which flowed between the roots. There was so much life, in fact, that she was surrounded and could hardly see where the ship, her friends and the Council had gone. Adora let She-Ra’s form vanish as she climbed back to her feet, surprisingly still full of energy despite how much of it she had expended in the process. She reached out and let glowing leaves touch her palm, feeling their magic buzz across her skin. Otheron’s magic existed in a web of trees and organisms the same way Etheria’s magic was connected through runestones. When she touched the tree, she felt herself momentarily become a part of the web.

Adora pulled away and turned, beginning to push through the thick forest towards where she’d last seen the ship. She’d only made it a few steps before her friends burst out of the trees ahead of her, whooping at the tops of their lungs. Entrapta was touching each of the trees in turn with tentative strands of her hair. “It’s a network!” she shouted excitedly. “Oh, Hordak will _love_ this when I tell him about it…”

Bow and Glimmer threw their arms around Adora, and almost as soon as they’d drawn away, Catra was hugging her too. A little disoriented, Adora beamed into their faces and said, “See? Told you I could do it.”

“You have done well, First One,” came a small, impressed voice. “We will forever be in your debt.”

The Council had come into view as well. Their overlarge eyes took in the forest with pure astonishment and wonder. When they touched the grass and the trees, the magic latched onto them, shimmering over their skin. Several of the Council members fell to their knees in a sort of prayer, happy tears running down their faces. The little people had finally come home.

Adora felt her chest swell with pride. “We were happy to help.”

“We?” Bow shot her an amused look. “ _You_ helped them, Adora.”

Catra and Melog were sniffing around the forest curiously, but both of them turned just in time to see Adora blush at the praise. “Well… I could never have done any of this without you guys. As usual.”

“Obviously,” Catra said, slinging an arm around her shoulders. “But just accept the compliment, dumbass. Thought you were supposed to be good at that.”

Adora flushed a little pinker at the flattering looks the little people and her friends sent her way.

“I think it’s time to announce to Ma-Tish what our honoured visitor has done,” one of the Council members said. “They should get to see this for themselves.”

Taking Adora’s hands much like they had after she drank Otheron’s magic, the Council began to lead her back to the ship. Adora went willingly.

After the Council had presented her to the massive crowd of little people waiting at the edge of the city and told them all to head up to the surface, they swarmed like ants through the hole in the ravine. Adora told Bow to fly her back to the surface so she could see their reactions. Most of the little people prayed and cried. Some ran through the trees, greeting the animals and plants like old friends. Adora and her friends tensed when they saw hulking figures appear – the massive insects they’d fought upon arriving in Otheron – but the little people calmed them immediately. The insects reacted to them much like Melog reacted to Catra; magical beasts imprinted on their masters.

Finally, a large clearing was discovered where the little people built fires to ward away the approaching darkness. For a while, Adora was in the centre of their celebrations, praised by Ma-Tish citizens who had used to glare and distrust her. They sang songs about old hunters and magic-wielders – as well as battle songs their people had sung when the First Ones first came to Otheron. Some of the Council members took Adora’s hands and sang new songs about the First One who had returned to right the wrongs of her people. Adora listened with curiosity. The little people promised her that her tale would be told forever, as long as they lived.

Soon enough, Adora grew tired of their attention. After checking her friends were okay, she slipped away from the festivities and ventured a little further into the forest to be alone.

There were three moons in this system, and now that the dust in the air had cleared and the forests had lit the sky with their magic, the winking spheres could be seen overhead. The sky glittered with stars which reminded Adora of home and she wondered momentarily what was going on in Etheria. No doubt her friends would be enjoying the planet’s new-found peace. Although Adora knew that she was doing the right thing by trying to return magic to the universe, she partly wished she hadn’t left. Instead, she could be waking up in her room in Bright Moon’s palace, Catra beside her, with few duties or dangers to face each day. Adora didn’t know if she’d ever manage to live a simple life, but she’d like to at least try at some point.

Sitting down by one of the streams which had bubbled to the surface amidst the trees and purple grass, Adora watched the stars thoughtfully. She heard Catra arrive at her side, moving so unobtrusively that her footsteps were almost inaudible.

“Hey, Adora,” Catra drawled. Catching sight of her expression, Catra lowered into a crouch and peered at her curiously. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m kinda homesick,” Adora admitted.

“We could go back whenever you want.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Catra rolled her eyes and nudged her shoulder. “You should see your face right now. Aren’t we meant to be celebrating?”

Adora drew her knees to her chest and set her chin on top of them, still staring up at the sky.

Sitting down beside her, Catra offered her a befuddled look. She suggested, “Let’s go back home, then. We’ll stay in Etheria for a few months. There’s nothing wrong with taking a break.”

It was a rational idea. Adora nodded her acceptance. She had to listen to her heart – she had to allow herself to want things. The lonely future she’d seen couldn’t be allowed to happen. Just as Otheron’s magic had given She-Ra the chance to right wrongs on a near-barren planet, it had also given Adora a chance to right the wrongs in her own life. These little people had said they were forever in her debt, but Adora knew it had already been repaid.

“Catra, we need to talk,” she blurted suddenly.

Shooting her a surprised look, Catra turned to face her. Her eyes were narrowed with nervousness but she was feigning nonchalance. “What about?”

Adora took a deep breath. “Otheron’s magic helped me see things. Not just about Otheron, but about me. About where I’ll end up.”

Slowly, Catra’s ears curved back against her head. She looked suspicious. “Okay…”

“Do you remember before we took down Horde Prime, when you left? You said you didn’t want to stick around and watch me kill myself.”

“That isn’t exactly what I said,” she muttered.

“It scared me,” Adora continued honestly. “But when you came back, in the Heart, and you stayed with me when I thought it was all over… I realized then what you meant when you asked what I wanted. I wanted you. And it definitely didn’t feel so bad to want things.” She sighed. “But I still can’t help myself. If someone asks me to risk my life, I do it, and I never think about how you’ll feel about it.”

Catra’s eyes widened.

“In one of the visions I had, you left. And you never came back.” Adora’s chest tightened as she remembered the feeling of loneliness, of loss. “Just like you left before, because you didn’t want to have to spend your life watching me put myself in danger. And because I never chose… you.”

Eyes flinching away, Catra focused on the water rushing by. Her ears were still flat and she looked like she was bracing herself for bad news. “So?”

“So I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel that way,” Adora said quietly. “It used to be just me. Risking my own life for stuff is easy – I don’t even have to think about the consequences most of the time. But now I can’t risk myself without risking you, too.” She reached out and took Catra’s hands. “I’ll never stop being She-Ra, and there’ll probably always be dangerous things I have to do, but… I choose you.”

Catra spun to face her again. She looked so surprised in that moment that Adora had to giggle at her expression, squeezing her hands. Finally, Catra asked, “Really?”

“Yeah.” Adora beamed at her. “We’re in this together. If I have to make any choices as She-Ra, I’ll make them with you. Okay? You’re as much a part of this as I am now.”

Slowly, Catra’s lips curled into a smile. She looked a little shy. “You know, that isn’t _at all_ what I expected you say.”

“Blame that stupid magic drink the tiny people gave me,” Adora sighed. “Now I know what it feels like to lose you and never see you again… I get it. I don’t want to make decisions alone anymore.”

Without another word, Catra leaned in and kissed her passionately. She pulled back with a smirk. “Sparkles and Arrow Boy are gonna be _very_ happy to hear about this.” She jumped to her feet and grabbed Adora’s arm, pulling her to her feet as well. “In fact, we should go tell them right now.”

Bow and Glimmer were definitely very glad to hear about Adora’s epiphany and change of heart. After shoving a few strange glowing drinks into Adora’s hands with the clear intention of getting her drunk, they encouraged her to join in with the singing once more. The fires the little people had built glowed a bright effervescent yellow and they danced around them gleefully, casting shadows in every direction. A mixture of strange smells rose from the fires, as the little people seemed to be cooking all sorts of ingredients they had found in their newly grown forests. Everywhere Adora looked, she saw joyful faces. For the little people, this would be a night to remember – and for herself, too.

Entrapta was right in the middle of the throng, surrounded by little people who seemed intrigued by her prehensile hair and the gadgets filling her pockets. Melog slunk around curiously for little while until the attention from the little people proved too much – she returned to Catra’s side and curled with her head in her lap.

Roo approached Adora later in the night with a small woman beside him. “This is my Second Soul. Her name is Revdeen,” he said with a hint of pride. “We would both like to thank you for what you’ve done.”

Adora shook the tiny hand that was offered. “Nice to meet you, Revdeen. Uh… Second Soul?”

Glancing between Adora and Catra, Roo smiled knowingly. “I will leave your own to explain.”

When Adora glanced over at Catra, her girlfriend was very deliberately avoiding her eyes. Once Roo had left, she tugged on Catra’s sleeve expectantly. Sighing, Catra finally muttered, “It’s their version of a soulmate, basically.”

Adora nodded, still a little confused. “So why’d he look at you like that?”

“No idea.”

“ _Because_ ,” Glimmer leaned towards them suddenly, looking mischievous, “Catra told him that you’re _her_ Second Soul.”

“He asked and I said it sounded accurate,” Catra snapped, clearly embarrassed. “Stop twisting my words.”

Adora felt her cheeks heat as she beamed and threw her arms around her girlfriend, hugging her tight.

“Stop smiling at me like that,” Catra grumbled, but for once she didn’t wiggle out of her grasp.

Adora only grinned wider. “I think it’s cute you think we’re soulmates.”

“Yeah, who knew Catra of all people would believe in that stuff?” Bow said, eyes twinkling with humour.

With a noise of frustration, Catra shook her head and turned back to the fire. Adora scooted up behind her and slung both arms around her waist. “I’m really happy you said that,” she said.

Stiffening a little, Catra tilted her head with a smile. She leaned back into Adora’s chest so she could kiss her cheek. “Really? What d’you think?”

“About soulmates?”

“Do you believe they exist?” Catra sounded a little embarrassed.

“‘Course I do.” Adora nuzzled into the side of her neck. As usual, Catra was warm and purring in her embrace, and her hair – which was already getting longer and by now reached her shoulders – brushed silky-soft against Adora’s cheek. “I thought we were soulmates when we were kids.”

Catra scoffed. “No you didn’t.”

“Did too.” She grinned again. “Right from the beginning, we only ever hung out with each other. None of the other kids at the Horde had the same connection we did.”

One of Catra’s shoulders rose in an uncertain shrug.

“Shadow Weaver saw it too,” Adora said, more quietly. The death of their former mentor – the only mother figure either of them had ever had – still weighed on her mind, and she knew Catra struggled with it, too. “That’s why she always tried to keep us apart. She knew we were stronger together.”

Turning very suddenly in her arms, Catra quickly said, “Let’s not talk about her. Not tonight. I want to be happy.”

“Okay.” Forcing down the worry in her chest at Catra’s reaction, she leaned in and kissed her. Mentioning Shadow Weaver had been a bad idea. They still hadn’t talked about what they’d seen at the Heart, when Shadow Weaver had sacrificed herself. Adora hadn’t thought it needed to be talked about. Clearly, at some point, it did.

She and Catra stood and walked some way away from the festivities, lying at the edge of the forest under the shadow of a tall golden-leaved tree. They talked for a while, just as they had after the battle against Horde Prime, staring up through the canopy at the stars, hearing the celebrations wind down and the fires burn out. Soon enough, the little people had built up a makeshift camp under the stars and everyone had succumbed to sleep.

When Catra yawned, it was wide and loud, displaying her pointed canines, and Adora giggled at how cute it was. Catra shot her a half-embarrassed smile and then rolled over and pressed their noses together. “Stop laughing at me.”

“Or what?” Adora challenged.

A flash of defiance appeared in Catra’s eyes. In one smooth movement, she had Adora pinned on her back with her arms by her sides and was looming over her. Blue-and-yellow eyes flashed in the dark. Smugly, she said, “I wonder if She-Ra can protect you from your worst nightmare…”

Adora frowned up at her in confusion. “Wha…?”

Catra reached down and began to tickle her, and Adora yelped her surprise. She immediately began to try and squirm out of the iron grip, hating the feeling so much that it stole the breath from her lungs. Catra finally let up, sitting on top of her and cackling at her reaction. “I thought you’d have grown out of being ticklish already.”

“In three years?” Adora grumbled. She kept her arms by her sides, trying to protect them in case there was another onslaught. However, when Catra reached down this time, it was to stroke her arms rather than tickle her.

“Sorry,” she said. “You always hated it when I did that.” She was still smiling though, looking very proud of herself.

“You always did it anyway.”

Catra grabbed her face and kissed her. Eventually, her lips softened and she slumped on top of Adora, burying her face in her neck. “Night.”

“Ugh.” Adora half-heartedly tried to push her off. Eventually, she just rolled and settled Catra by her side, trying to give herself a little more room to breathe. Catra clung to her tighter with an arm and leg when she tried to squirm away and Adora heard the vibration of muffled laughter. “Is tonight Annoy Adora Night?” she sighed. “I just healed an entire planet. Give me a break.”

“Are you annoyed?” Catra lazily peeked an eye open. She grinned. “Honestly, you don’t look annoyed. In fact… you kinda look like you’re enjoying yourself.”

Adora blushed. “Uh, _no_. I’m not…” She spluttered, realizing she didn’t really know what she protesting in the first place. Lifting her head, she glanced around the forest, wondering if anyone could hear them.

Catra’s smile was both triumphant and sweet as she leaned up on one elbow. “You’re so obviously in love with me I almost feel bad for teasing you.”

“ _You’re_ the one who said we’re soulmates,” Adora teased in return. She rolled over, presenting her back, and closed her eyes. As she’d expected, Catra tucked an arm around her waist and pressed up close behind her, mischievousness forgotten. She laid her face between Adora’s shoulder blades and let out a deep sigh, her whole body slackening. Adora covered the arm at her waist with her own, squeezing her tight. Eventually, with Catra’s warmth at her back, Adora drifted off into a deep, undisturbed sleep.

She woke several hours later. Dawn was glowing at the horizon and some of the little people were milling about, still in awe of the beauty which had returned to Otheron. When Adora rolled over and buried her face in Catra’s neck, breathing in her scent, Catra shifted as if she’d spent too long in one position. Adora whispered, “How long have you been awake?”

“Not that long.” Her voice sounded raspy with sleep.

“You didn’t wake me up.”

Catra stroked her back. “Didn’t really wanna let go.”

The admission made Adora feel giddy. She could barely withhold a smile. But, as much as she would have loved to lay forever in that beautiful forest with Catra’s arms around her, there was still work to do. They were leaving Otheron today and Adora still hadn’t told her friends about her plan to return to Etheria for a few months. She extracted herself from Catra’s arms despite muffled protests, and then stood to survey the camp.

Bow and Glimmer were still fast asleep, curled up together by one of the fires. Entrapta was missing, likely back at the ship and making new logs about Otheron. Melog sat at the corner of the campsite, staring directly at Adora. She walked over and patted her head and earned a metallic purr. Only when Catra approached did the magical creature leave her side, winding around her legs as the purring grew even louder. Catra smiled, affectionately patting Melog’s flank.

Watching the both of them together, Adora’s happiness only grew. She hid her own smile as Catra met her eyes, asking, “Do you think the little people went back to their city?”

Catra shrugged. “Some of them, probably.”

Walking over to where Glimmer and Bow slept, Adora gently shook one of the entangled arms, wanting to wake them gently. Glimmer woke first, sitting straight up and rubbing tiredness from her eyes. “…Huh?”

“I wanted to talk to you guys about returning to Etheria,” Adora said simply.

Blinking at her, a smile slowly spread across Glimmer’s face. “Really?” Her own kingdom – and her family in it – was likely missing their Princess, and she must be missing them too.

Glimmer shook Bow awake and relayed the news, and he looked just as happy. “I’d like to go back for a little,” he admitted. “I thought we’d have more time to ourselves after defeating Horde Prime but we left so fast…”

Adora felt a little guilty. While her friends had enthusiastically agreed to her plan to bring magic back to the universe, she knew they felt like they had a duty to her. They accompanied her because they didn’t want her to go alone. She should have taken into account what they really wanted, too.

“We’ll stay for a few months,” Adora decided. “It was… Catra’s idea, actually.”

Catra looked surprised at the attention. When everyone turned to look at her, she smirked and said, “I’ve never had a single bad idea in my life.”

Glimmer shot her a look.

“One of my ideas saved _you_ , Sparkles. Remember?”

Watching Glimmer roll her eyes, Adora said, “You find Entrapta and the ship. We’ll see if we can find some of the little people and say our goodbyes.”

Revitalized by the possibility of returning home so soon, Glimmer jumped into action almost immediately, grabbing Bow’s arm and dragging him after her as she teleported to where they’d last left the ship. Adora turned to Catra and Melog. “Let’s go find some little people.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet again. I'll see about another adventure/mini story (or even a one-shot). Thanks for the kudos:)


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